Legal action possible against cybercriminals abroad, says Zahid

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has stated that legal action can be taken against cybercriminals located abroad if their offenses involve Malaysian systems or victims are Malaysian citizens. This is possible under Clause 2 of the new Cyber Crime Bill 2026, which enables legal action against offenders abroad as if the offenses had occurred within Malaysia.

The government is utilizing existing international cooperation mechanisms to ensure foreign-based criminals can be investigated, prosecuted, and, where requirements are met, extradited to Malaysia. Deputy Prime Minister Zahid responded to a question from Shamshulkahar Deli (BN-Jempol) regarding whether the current legal framework on cybercrime is sufficient to address AI-powered online scams, including identity impersonation, deepfakes, and digital manipulation.

He emphasized that the bill, passed by Parliament in July, aims to address gaps in the law, particularly cross-border cybercrime and the misuse of AI technology. Clause 23 of the bill expands the scope of offenses relating to impersonation through computer systems to tackle deepfake threats, which can produce highly convincing fake videos, images, and voices used for fraud and deception.

The bill also provides investigative powers under Clauses 38 to 41 to expedite action against cybercrime syndicates, focusing on preserving and disclosing data, collecting traffic data, and intercepting communications. Clause 54 empowers courts to issue orders to prevent or stop violations of the law, including cessation orders, restitution orders for victims, compliance orders, and asset restraint orders to prevent the dissipation of scam proceeds.

Enforcement of the Cyber Crime Bill 2026 will strengthen enforcement agencies with more responsive investigative powers and provisions for extraterritorial jurisdiction to combat cybercrime, including AI-enabled online scams.