THE Malaysia Government can take legal action against cybercriminals operating overseas if their offences involve local computer systems or Malaysian victims, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
He said the provision was contained in Clause 2 of the Cyber Crime Bill 2026, which took into account the cross-border nature of cybercrime.
" The government also uses existing international cooperation mechanisms to ensure foreign offenders can be investigated, prosecuted and, subject to the relevant conditions, extradited to Malaysia," he said in a written parliamentary reply published on Parliament's website.
Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, was responding to Datuk Shamshulkahar Mohd Deli (BN-Jempol), who asked whether existing laws were adequate to address AI-powered online scams involving identity impersonation, deepfakes and digital manipulation.
He said the Cyber Crime Bill 2026, passed by Parliament in July, was designed to address online fraud involving AI technology and repeal the Computer Crimes Act 1997 (Act 563).
Under Clause 23, the legislation expands the scope of offences involving digital impersonation carried out using computer systems.
"Existing laws are no longer sufficient to address deepfakes, which can produce fake videos, images and voices that are difficult to distinguish from authentic ones, and can be used to commit fraud and deceive the public," he said.
To accelerate investigations into cybercrime syndicates, Clauses 38 to 41 provide enforcement authorities with investigative powers covering data preservation, data disclosure, traffic data collection and communications interception.
Zahid said these powers were necessary because digital evidence could be deleted, altered or transferred within a short period, although their exercise would remain subject to established safeguards.
For victim protection, Clause 54 empowers courts to issue orders to prevent or stop legal violations upon applications by the Public Prosecutor or authorised officers, regardless of whether a suspect has been charged.
These include cessation orders, restitution to victims, compliance orders and asset restraint orders to prevent proceeds of fraud, including money obtained through scams, from being dissipated.
He said the legislation strengthened enforcement agencies' investigative capabilities and provided cross-border jurisdiction to combat cybercrime, including AI-powered online fraud. - November 5, 2026
