Malaysia can prosecute foreign cybercriminals targeting local systems, victims

The Malaysian government can prosecute foreign cybercriminals targeting local systems or Malaysian victims, according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. This authority is outlined in Clause 2 of the Cyber Crime Bill 2026, which recognizes the cross-border nature of cybercrime.

The government plans to use existing international cooperation mechanisms to facilitate investigations, prosecutions, and extraditions of foreign offenders. Deputy Prime Minister Zahid addressed this during a parliamentary reply, responding to concerns from Datuk Shamshulkahar Mohd Deli about the adequacy of existing laws in addressing AI-powered online scams involving identity impersonation, deepfakes, and digital manipulation.

The Cyber Crime Bill 2026, passed by Parliament in July, aims to tackle online fraud involving AI technology and repeal the outdated Computer Crimes Act 1997. It expands the scope of offences involving digital impersonation carried out using computer systems, including deepfakes that can produce convincing fake videos, images, and voices for fraudulent purposes.

To enhance investigations into cybercrime syndicates, Clauses 38 to 41 grant enforcement authorities new investigative powers, such as data preservation, disclosure, traffic data collection, and communications interception, though these powers must still adhere to established safeguards. Clause 54 empowers courts to issue orders to prevent or stop legal violations, such as cessation, restitution, compliance, and asset restraint orders to recover stolen funds from scam perpetrators.

These measures strengthen enforcement agencies' capabilities and provide cross-border jurisdiction to combat cybercrime, including AI-driven online fraud, as stated by Deputy Prime Minister Zahid.