Scam Committee Findings to Be Tabled in Cabinet Soon, Says Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR: The findings from a series of discussions by a special task force established to combat online scam crimes will be presented to the Cabinet in the near future, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said today.

He said a Cabinet memorandum was currently being prepared to detail several key decisions reached through engagements by the special task force.

“The task force has held a series of discussions, and I will bring a Cabinet memorandum in the near future to inform the Cabinet of several decisions,” he told reporters after officiating M360 ASEAN 2026 here today.

Fahmi said the task force was unique, as, for the first time, it brought together commercial banks, telecommunications companies and digital platform providers, including TikTok, in a coordinated effort to curb online scams.

He said discussions also examined possible gaps in existing laws, as well as opportunities to strengthen strategic cooperation among enforcement agencies involved in investigating scam cases.

The cross-agency cooperation includes the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) and the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).

The establishment of the special task force and technical working group was previously announced to coordinate efforts involving the government, regulators, enforcement agencies, financial institutions, telecommunications companies and digital platforms in tackling online scams.

In his earlier speech, Fahmi said four major operations targeting the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) since December 2024 had resulted in 117 individuals being arrested at 162 locations.

More than 1.47 million digital files were seized during the operations, of which 204,934 files were confirmed as child sexual abuse material.

To combat such crimes, Fahmi said Malaysia was strengthening its digital safety framework through the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA), the Child Protection Code and the Risk Reduction Code.

The framework sets out clear responsibilities for digital platform providers, including child safety by design, age verification, proactive risk assessments, strict content governance and responsive reporting mechanisms.

Organised by the GSMA, M360 ASEAN 2026, held on Sept 9 and 10, brings together ministers, regulators and industry leaders to discuss digital trust, artificial intelligence (AI), resilient infrastructure and regional digital integration.

The event, being held for the first time in the ASEAN region and Malaysia, is supported by the Ministry of Communications.