Cyber scams rising sharply
ONLINE scams in Malaysia have caused a staggering RM1.12bil in financial losses in just the first half of 2025 alone, says the Home Ministry.
It said that the government would begin intensifying its efforts and curb online scam losses in the country, which include strengthening the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC), in response to the growing scam cases.
The ministry said this would involve the creation of new positions involving various schemes.
'Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has also agreed for the NSRC to be placed under the direct supervision of the Home Ministry. It has also been decided that it will be led by the police force,' the Home Ministry said in a parliamentary written reply to R. Yuneswaran (PH-Segamat) on the amount of money lost by Malaysians due to online scams and the steps being taken to address the issue.
The ministry also said it is studying the feasibility of drafting a Cybercrime Bill as part of its efforts to combat cybercrimes in the country.
It added that its SemakMule portal, which enables the public to check bank account numbers, phone numbers and companies used by scammers, currently has 265,869 bank accounts, 211,265 phone numbers, and 12,724 company names recorded.
On Aug 5, the Digital Ministry said online scam financial losses in 2024 reached a worrying RM1.58bil, a 2.53% increase from the year prior.
It was reported earlier that to cope with an average of 500 scam-related calls per day, the government has approved an additional 139 permanent staff for the NSRC.
In the interim, 40 Commercial Crime Investigation Department personnel have been deployed to assist operations.
Currently, the NSRC is supported by personnel from the police, Bank Negara, calling agents appointed by the central bank and bank officers.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the NSRC's operations will be relocated to Cyberjaya by early September to allow all agencies to work under one roof.
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Sinar Daily
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Syaza said that in the immediate aftermath, the incident had sparked a wave of public support for Rafizi. The former Economy Minister has also made it clear that he refuses to be silenced. 'However, if the perpetrators are not caught soon, this incident could have a chilling effect, making politicians and commentators like me, as a political analyst, more cautious about speaking out. 'It reflects a troubling shift in Malaysia, where the line between political disagreement and real threats is increasingly blurred. 'If the attack is linked to corruption, it highlights that the problem remains entrenched and the fight is far from over, leaving ordinary Malaysians as the real victims, deprived of open discourse and vital information,' she added. Former Economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli reveals that a threatening message was sent to his wife following the assault on their 12-year-old son on Aug 13. 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