The government is planning to establish a special committee aimed at strengthening cooperation between agencies to combat the growing threat of online scam crimes in Malaysia.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the proposed committee would bring together enforcement agencies, regulators, financial institutions, telecommunications companies and digital platforms to ensure a more coordinated national response against scammers.
According to Fahmi, the move comes amid the alarming rise in online fraud cases, which are becoming increasingly sophisticated with the use of new technologies including artificial intelligence (AI).
He revealed that Malaysians suffered losses amounting to RM2.7 billion due to scam-related crimes in 2025 alone, highlighting how serious the issue has become nationwide.
At the same time, Fahmi said security mechanisms implemented by financial institutions successfully blocked another RM1.2 billion that syndicates attempted to steal from victims.
“We believe a special committee should be formed so that integrated and continuous cooperation can exist between enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, telecommunications companies and banks,” he said after officiating the closing ceremony of the Inter-Agency Retreat on Combatting Online Scam 2026 on Sunday.
The minister also disclosed that a Cabinet memorandum detailing the retreat’s findings and the proposal for the committee’s formation would be tabled within the next two to three weeks.
Beyond financial losses, the government is also paying close attention to the emotional and psychological impact faced by scam victims, many of whom suffer trauma after losing their life savings to fraud syndicates.
Fahmi urged the public to immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) hotline at 997 if they fall victim to online scams.
He also reminded Malaysians never to rent or hand over their bank accounts to third parties, warning that doing so could result in them being used as mule accounts for criminal activities.
