Malaysia recorded RM958 million in losses from online fraud between January and June this year, highlighting the growing threat of scams, said Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has stepped up efforts to remove harmful content from various digital platforms as online threats continue to rise.
From January 1 until yesterday, authorities had requested the removal of 470,593 pieces of harmful content from social media platforms, with providers agreeing to take down 93 per cent, or 436,661 items.
“Of the 470,593 pieces of content, 64 per cent were related to gambling, while another 27 per cent involved scams,” Fahmi said at a press conference following the exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Immigration Department and MCMC.
Facebook accounted for the largest share of online gambling content at 78 per cent, followed by YouTube at 18 per cent and TikTok at four per cent.
For scam-related content, Facebook again recorded the highest proportion at 53 per cent, followed by TikTok at 39 per cent and Threads at five per cent.
Fahmi stressed that social media platforms must take greater responsibility by proactively detecting, blocking and removing harmful content instead of relying solely on reports from authorities or complaints from users.
“Platforms must shoulder greater responsibility to ensure a safer online environment,” he said.
He added that MCMC is intensifying intelligence-led operations and investigations to combat cybercrime, while strengthening mandatory standards for the registration of prepaid public cellular service users and measures related to digital identity verification.
Earlier, Fahmi witnessed the exchange of the MoU between the Immigration Department and MCMC aimed at strengthening cooperation in enforcement, intelligence sharing and joint investigations involving cross-border crime and communications technology.
Also present were Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, MCMC chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din and Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban.
