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THE hacking of Kluang Municipal Council's systems has prompted a call for stronger cybersecurity safeguards and increased security spending across government agencies as Malaysia expands its use of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based services.
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said all government agencies should conduct cybersecurity audits to identify weaknesses in their digital systems and infrastructure, including gaps in cloud storage protection.
She said the growing adoption of AI and digital services made it increasingly important for organisations to allocate adequate budgets to cybersecurity rather than overlook the risks associated with greater technology dependence.
"We should take the hacking incident involving the Kluang Municipal Council as a lesson. Previously, many may not have recognised the need to allocate funds for cybersecurity. However, I hope this incident serves as a reminder to everyone.
"As we subscribe to various AI programmes, cloud storage services and other digital platforms, we must also ensure that part of our budgets is allocated to cybersecurity," she said.
Teo said cybersecurity audits should also be extended beyond government departments and ministries to all sectors using AI technology and cloud storage services.
She was speaking after presenting contributions under the Tabung Kasih\@HAWANA X TM initiative to a media practitioner suffering from gout and chronic kidney disease.
On the initiative, Teo said 901 media practitioners had benefited from the fund, receiving a total of RM2.26 million in contributions.
In Terengganu, 38 media practitioners received assistance amounting to RM114,000. - November 6, 2026
