KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia suffered losses exceeding RM1.22 billion due to cybercrime in just 10 months last year, said Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail.
He said the staggering figure, recorded from January to October 2024, reflected the growing scale and sophistication of online crimes, ranging from financial scams and identity theft to data breaches and online deception.
“According to Cyber Security Malaysia, more than 5,900 cyber incidents were recorded in 2023, including 3,705 fraud cases. Reports of data breaches alone rose by a staggering 1,100 per cent compared to the previous year,” he said in his opening speech at the Police Special Dialogue III 2025 here today.
Mohd Khalid said the statistics revealed a concerning reality that cybercrime is no longer a peripheral threat but a clear and present danger to the nation’s economy, security and social trust.
He stressed that the police must adapt rapidly by becoming a digitally enabled and intelligence-led organisation to keep pace with emerging threats.
“We are enhancing digital forensic capabilities, strengthening intelligence coordination and expanding inter-agency and international cooperation.
“But combating cybercrime is not just the duty of police agencies; it requires the involvement of the whole government, the private sector and society,” he said.
Mohd Khalid emphasised that collaboration is crucial to safeguarding Malaysia’s digital integrity.
“Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. We all serve as guardians of digital integrity. This dialogue is not just about discussion but about charting a path forward with innovative solutions. I officially launched the Special Dialogue with a call for unity in protecting communities and institutions from the growing scourge of cybercrime,” he said.
The IGP said the police would continue strengthening their capabilities, particularly with the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in administration, management and operations.
“With the introduction of AI in the force, I am confident that many challenges can be addressed, time can be saved and at the same time, our reliance on human resources alone can be reduced.
“We will explore and do our utmost to integrate these initiatives within the force so that we can progress further in line with the changing times, especially in terms of information technology,” he said.
The dialogue hosted by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) with support from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Alpine Integrated Solution and Koperasi Polis Diraja Malaysia Berhad (KPDRM), gathered 550 participants, including enforcement agencies, academia, technology experts and civil society.
The event featured ministerial dialogues on strengthening Malaysia’s digital defence frameworks, expert panels on law and technology, and workshops on cyber response mechanisms as well as artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. - Bernama
