KUALA LUMPUR – The government is drafting a new “kill switch” law to effectively and swiftly minimise the prevalence of online scams and other cybercrime, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
Azalina attributed the rampant cybercrime incidents to artificial intelligence and the irresponsibility of certain service providers who prioritise profit over public safety.
“The government is in the process of drafting a new act that includes provisions related to the procedure and enforcement of a kill switch.
“This is to improve digital safety in detail, which is in line with current needs and technological developments, such as artificial intelligence and the prevalence of cybercrime cases,” she said during Minister’s Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat today.
She added that the act was among the issues discussed in the first meeting of the Working Committee on the Drafting of New Laws related to Cybercrime, chaired by her alongside Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, with 16 government agencies and statutory bodies on February 5, which aims to suggest new laws related to the harm of cybercrime.
The meeting, which was held on February 5, found that existing laws were not on par with the rapid development of technology, and a kill-switch system was needed to curb scams in any online domain. Azalina also said the government was evaluating several provisions in other laws to allow the return of money to fraud victims.
These include the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
She was responding to Suhaizan Kaiat (Pulai-PH), who asked about steps the government was taking to overcome the prevalent issue of online scammers and what protection could be provided to the victims of such crimes.
Azalina also took the opportunity to point out that most of the existing laws were outdated, likening them to “basikal buruk” (rusted bikes) in comparison to a car.
She then called for substantial amendments to existing laws, which, in turn, could also aid the government in curbing ongoing issues.
In 2023, Malaysia recorded losses of RM1.3 billion due to online fraud, involving 32,462 cases. The biggest contributor to this number were counterfeit investment schemes, which stole a substantial RM421 million.
From October 12, 2022, to January 31, 2024, the National Scam Response Centre, accessible through the 997 hotline, logged 71,631 calls, with reported losses amounting to RM245 million, according to Azalina. – February 27, 2024