ASEAN HEADLINE-CYBERCRIMES | Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim-PM: Vital for Malaysia to prioritise cyber security

PUTRAJAYA (July 30): Cyber security should be a priority as Malaysia lags behind other countries, necessitating training, expertise and collaboration with cyber intelligence agencies to address these challenges, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He said several strict measures are necessary, including new regulations aimed at tackling online crime and cyberbullying, to create a safer virtual environment for users.

Anwar noted that the government has introduced the Cyber Security Bill, and recently, the Communications Minister and the Digital Minister (Gobind Singh Deo) has focused on ensuring online safety for both domestic and international users.

“Yesterday (July 29), in Ipoh, I addressed the question of whether this might restrict freedom. This country is a democracy, and freedom must be given for people to voice their views, whether they agree, criticise or oppose,” he said.

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“There is a difference when digital and social media are used; for instance, to abuse people leading to suicides, or to exploit children for sexual trade, is this justified? There are scams amounting to RM2.5 billion, with people being deceived through social media.”

“When we say restrictions are necessary, some argue against limiting freedom. Is freedom for deception, stealing, or abusing people until they commit suicide justified? These are issues that the public needs to understand, hence the focus on personal safety,” he said when launching the National Security Month 2024 here on Tuesday.

Last Sunday (July 28), Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said that new legislation to enhance digital security will include provisions related to the procedures and enforcement of a kill switch. It will be tabled in Parliament this October.

She said that the law will, among other matters, place responsibility on social media and internet messaging service providers to address online crimes such as fraud, cyberbullying, distribution of child sexual abuse material, and sexual harassment and grooming.

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The day before, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced that social media and internet messaging services with at least eight million registered users in Malaysia will need to apply for an Application Service Provider Class Licence under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588).

According to the MCMC, this requirement will be enforced starting Jan 1 next year, following the introduction of a new regulatory framework for social media and internet messaging services on Aug 1.

Meanwhile, Anwar urged the public not to underestimate the importance of national defence, as some people feel comfortable with the country’s security due to the peaceful conditions, sufficient food, impressive economic growth rate, decreasing unemployment rate, and increasing investments into the country.

He also said that economic growth should be emphasised without neglecting aspects of national security, including values and good governance in the security forces, such as transparent procurement processes which are crucial to national security.

“If the goal is to safeguard national security, then the procurement process must be responsible. Sometimes, procurement aims to ensure security, but the purchasing method leads to excessive leakage, and this must be stopped.”

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“If not, just look at the fate of our warships, (and) our aircraft, compared to the large allocations given each year. That’s why I thank the leadership of the security forces for getting back on track to ensure that procurement follows the correct methods and regulations, and is not for the benefit of agents, whether domestic or foreign,” he said.

On the South China Sea issue, Anwar said Malaysia’s relations with the United States, China and Western countries remain good, despite international reports suggesting that China has sparked tensions and violated several regulations.

“We do not follow the diplomacy frameworks of other countries. We determine our own interests and strategies. In our experience so far, we have not faced any threats that we consider alarming.

“If we look at Western media, they emphasise that China has triggered and violated several regulations, but our relations with China show that all issues can be resolved at the negotiating table in an orderly and courteous manner,” he said.

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