
by SHAUQI WAHAB
THE government is drafting a new Cybercrime Bill aimed at strengthening Malaysia’s legal framework against the growing threat of online fraud, digital manipulation and emerging cyber risks.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (picture) (Bagan Datuk-BN) said the bill, led by the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA), will replace the Computer Crimes Act 1997 (Act 563), which is no longer sufficient to address modern cyber threats.
He said the proposed legislation will adopt a more holistic, up-to-date and technology-neutral approach to close existing legal loopholes, enhance investigation and prosecution capabilities, and better safeguard national cybersecurity as well as digital consumer rights.
He argued that the rise of cyber scams, deepfake technologies and the spread of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation (MDM) have transformed cyberspace into a key battleground for information warfare, as seen in global conflicts such as Russia-Ukraine.
“This Cybercrime Bill will be drafted using a holistic, modern and technology-neutral approach to strengthen enforcement, protect national cybersecurity and safeguard users in the digital space,” he said in Dewan Rakyat today.
The bill will complement the Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854), which came into force in August last year to reinforce Malaysia’s cybersecurity ecosystem by streamlining security functions and positioning digital security as a strategic national priority.
Ahmad Zahid also highlighted NACSA’s broader efforts, including the establishment of the Cyber Security and Cryptology Development Centre approved by the Cabinet in January, aimed at creating an integrated, resilient and sovereign national cyber ecosystem.
He added that NACSA and the National Security Council continue to push nationwide cybersecurity awareness campaigns.
The Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy 2025–2030 places strong focus on research, development, commercialisation and innovation to build secure, competitive local technologies and reduce overreliance on foreign systems.
The post Malaysia to introduce new cybercrime bill to replace outdated computer crimes act appeared first on The Malaysian Reserve.




