Daily Malaysian news — politics, business and world affairs.
Myanmar authorities have arrested 777 suspected online scam and illegal gambling operators in a large-scale raid in Kayin State, including 631 Chinese nationals. The operation resulted in clashes with armed groups.
Malaysia has recorded 8,014 online fraud charges as of May, exceeding the entire 2025 total. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is pushing the Cyber Crime Bill 2026 through Parliament to strengthen enforcement.
Malaysia's Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living has unveiled the 'Jom Beli Selamat' campaign with Shopee and police to educate consumers and reduce online fraud, which cost the nation RM4.54 billion from 2024 to 2025.
Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has called for a stronger legal framework to combat cybercrime, citing 66,204 online fraud cases in 2025 alone involving nearly RM3 billion in losses. The Cybercrime Bill 2026 is being discussed with government backbenchers.
Myanmar security forces have arrested four illegal Chinese nationals in Shan State for orchestrating online scams and gambling operations, seizing 34 mobile phones and computer equipment in the raid.
Malaysia's online scam losses have nearly doubled to RM2.97 billion in 2025 from RM1.57 billion the previous year, according to Home Ministry data. Non-existent investment schemes remain the costliest fraud type.
Ho Chi Minh City police have dismantled criminal networks smuggling foreign nationals to establish online fraud operations, arresting 26 suspects and seizing hundreds of computers and phones across eight cases.
Authorities arrested nine foreign nationals at Pengkalan Kubor in Tumpat on suspicion of orchestrating online fraud operations. The multi-nationality group is believed to have entered Malaysia specifically for scamming activities.
ASEAN police forces are coordinating intelligence-sharing and cross-border operations to combat rapidly evolving online scam networks that continue to relocate across Southeast Asia, with authorities reporting billions in losses globally.
A Bukit Mertajam court has fined six foreign nationals RM9,000 each for operating online romance scams that preyed on their fellow countrymen across Asia.
Cybercrime has emerged as a dominant threat across Asia, representing up to a third of all recorded criminal activity in some nations, driven by sophisticated scams, ransomware operations and AI-enabled fraud schemes.