Business, markets and economy news from Malaysia.
%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fpattern%3E%3C%2Fdefs%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20height%3D%22100%25%22%20fill%3D%22url(%23ph1dos6g)%22%2F%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%22100%25%22%20height%3D%22100%25%22%20fill%3D%22url(%23ph1dos6p)%22%2F%3E%3Ctext%20x%3D%2250%25%22%20y%3D%2250%25%22%20text-anchor%3D%22middle%22%20dominant-baseline%3D%22central%22%20fill%3D%22rgba(255%2C255%2C255%2C0.95)%22%20font-family%3D%22Georgia%2C%20'Times%20New%20Roman'%2C%20serif%22%20font-weight%3D%22700%22%20font-size%3D%22170%22%20letter-spacing%3D%22-0.02em%22%3EMalaysia%3C%2Ftext%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Malaysian authorities have arrested more than 45,000 suspects in connection with online scams since 2023, with police opening 165,501 investigation papers. The crackdown represents an escalating government response to cyber fraud that threatens citizens and the nation's digital economy.
Nine foreigners representing multiple nationalities were apprehended at Pengkalan Kubor in Kelantan on suspicion of orchestrating online scam operations targeting victims across Malaysia and possibly beyond.
ASEAN police forces are strengthening cross-border cooperation and launching specialized training to combat online scam syndicates that are relocating operations across Southeast Asia, as criminal networks adapt to mounting law enforcement pressure.
Interpol's latest assessment shows cybercrime now represents roughly a third of all recorded criminal activity across Asian nations, with sophisticated scams and AI-enabled fraud becoming the dominant threat vector.
Malaysia's online scam losses escalated dramatically to RM2.97 billion in 2025, nearly doubling the previous year's RM1.57 billion. The Inspector-General of Police highlighted the crisis during a nationwide awareness campaign.