The Digital Ministry is taking proactive steps to address the growing threat of online scams driven by artificial intelligence technologies such as deepfake videos and voice imitation.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, in a statement, said police recorded 35,368 cybercrime cases involving online financial fraud in 2024 – a 2.53 per cent increase from 2023 – with total losses amounting to RM1.58 billion.
In the first three months of 2025, Malaysia recorded 12,110 online fraud cases involving scams such as fake e-commerce deals, bogus loans and non-existent investment schemes, with total losses amounting to RM573.7 million, he said.
Among the ministry’s key initiatives is the development of AI-related guidelines through the Personal Data Protection Department. These are expected to be completed by early 2026.
They include the Guidelines on Data Protection Impact Assessment, the Data Protection by Design Guideline, and the Guidelines on Automated Decision-Making and Profiling.
Additionally, the Digital Ministry, through the National Digital Department, has developed the AI Adaptation Guidelines for the Public Sector to support government departments and agencies in adopting AI technology safely, ethically and responsibly, in line with governance principles, legal compliance and human rights.
The government is also implementing training and capacity-building programmes for enforcement agencies and civil servants in the areas of cybersecurity and AI. These are delivered through the ‘AI Untuk Rakyat’ initiative and the MD Workforce training programme under the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation.
The Digital Ministry, through CyberSecurity Malaysia, is also developing an AI-based application in collaboration with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to verify the authenticity of images and videos. This tool is aimed at assisting cybercrime investigations involving online scams, identity fraud and digital defamation.
Gobind said the ministry would continue to step up efforts to develop a safe, responsible and resilient AI ecosystem to address scam-related crimes in a comprehensive manner.
This, he added, aligns with Malaysia’s aspiration to become a regional leader in the digital economy and cybersecurity.