Malaysia to sign convention on cybercrime this October – Saifuddin Nasution

MALAYSIA is in the process of joining the Budapest Convention and will also sign the United Nations (UN) Convention on Cybercrime to reinforce international collaboration strategies in combating cybercrime, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that through this convention, the country will be able to strengthen cooperation in investigations, the exchange of digital evidence, extradition of cybercriminals, as well as information and intelligence sharing with international police agencies such as Interpol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“Assuming there are no problems, we will sign (the UN convention) in October in Vietnam,” he said during Question Time as reported by Bernama

Saifuddin said this in reply to Chong Zhemin (PH-Kampar), who wanted to know the number of cybercrime cases reported throughout 2024 and the ministry’s efforts to enhance digital security for the public.

Saifuddin said that throughout last year, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) opened 46,086 investigation papers, which included cases under the Penal Code, Computer Crimes Act 1997, Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, and the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.

Meanwhile, in reply to the supplementary question from Datuk Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang) regarding the government’s comprehensive mechanisms to curb the misuse of digital platforms, especially in relation to the sale of prohibited items, Saifuddin said the ministry is currently studying the formulation of a cybercrime bill.

“We aim to expand investigative powers by including provisions for data retention, preservation, disclosure, and real-time collection of traffic data.

“Offences against data confidentiality, integrity, availability, system intrusion, unauthorised interception of data, among many others, will be covered.

“When the time comes, the Home Ministry will hold engagement sessions and seek further input,” he added. - July 23, 2025