Fahmi: Govt to streamline anti-scam efforts with new laws, joint agency session soon
KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 — A special session to update all relevant stakeholders on current developments related to online scams will be held the soonest, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil had said today.
He said this was a decision made during last week’s engagement meeting he chaired with ministry representatives, telecommunication companies and banks.
“We have been working closely with the relevant stakeholders on any matters relating to scams and in fact our last meeting was held last week.
“At the meeting we have decided that we need a separate engagement session with all those who are involved in tackling crimes relating to these online scams that today appear in various forms.
“We decided on this as we’ve noticed that each enforcement agency may not have the same understanding or knowledge on the matter and it is important that we are all on the same page on this matter,” Fahmi told reporters after officiating at a health campaign organised by Universiti Malaya at its campus here.
This is a proactive step taken by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to invite all relevant stakeholders for this separate session to ensure that all agencies who can contribute to combating these types of scams will have a similar understanding on the matter, he added.
“It isn’t just fraud, but all kinds of online scams be it investment scams, love scams and many various other types of scams that has been abusing official channels.
“So it’s not necessarily just focused on online scams that have been appearing via social media platforms, at times these scams appear on WhatsApp or Telegram, those are messaging systems.
“So hopefully in the nearest time we can hold this session to look at possible laws that could be created in relation to these online scams, or to look at ways we can streamline enforcement,” he said.
Fahmi added that the session would most likely be held in a few weeks’ time.
