KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — The government is taking steps to create a legal system capable of acting as a kill switch against fraudulent activities on any online domains or platforms automatically.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the Madani government is also drafting a new law which includes provisions regarding the procedure and enforcement of the kill switch to increase digital security in detail and a clear manner.
“This is because most of the existing laws (related to cyber security and online crime) were drafted before 2010. That is why the law needs to be amended, not only in terms of substance but also in terms of procedure, so we can help the government face the issues that occur today,” she said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Azalina was responding to Pulai MP Suhaizan Kaiat’s query on the government’s efforts to address the increasingly prevalent problem of online fraud.
Several other laws are also being reviewed, including the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (Act 613), the Penal Code (Act 574), and the Criminal Procedure Code (Act 593) to enable stolen money to be returned to victims.
She added that the Working Committee on the Drafting of New Laws Related to Cybercrime held its first meeting on February 5, which was jointly chaired by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, and herself.
As many as 71,631 fraud reports involving RM245 million in losses were received by the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) from October 12, 2022, to January 31 this year.
— Bernama
