KUALA LUMPUR: July 2, 2026 – Member of Parliament for Keningau, Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Jeffrey G. Kitingan, has urged Parliament to enact stricter laws against cybercrime, revealing that online fraud cost Malaysians nearly RM3 billion in 2025 and that child sexual abuse cases had risen by 26.5%.
According to data presented, 66,200 fraud cases were recorded in 2025, with losses amounting to nearly RM3 billion, compared to more than 30,000 cases in 2023. In the same year, 1,567 cases of sexual offences involving children were reported, a 26.5% increase from the previous year.
Between 2024 and April 2026, more than 1.4 million digital files related to child sexual abuse were detected, including cases of online grooming, sextortion, and exploitation using AI-generated deepfakes.
Jeffrey proposed six measures – making online grooming a specific offence even without physical contact; granting police immediate powers to take down abusive content; requiring social media platforms to report and remove content within a specified timeframe; criminalising the production, possession and distribution of AI-generated images or videos exploiting children; imposing heavier penalties on cross-border syndicates; and providing comprehensive protection for victims, including counselling, legal aid and identity confidentiality.
A key proposal was to place legal responsibility on digital platforms that fail to act promptly, even when they are aware that abusive content exists on their platforms.
“These cybercriminals are no longer a future threat – they are today’s reality,” he stressed.
He also emphasised the need to strike a balance between security and individual freedoms, while stepping up public education.
“The laws we draft must not only punish criminals but also protect the people, defend national security, safeguard the dignity of children, encourage responsible innovation, and ensure that technological progress is always anchored in humanitarian values and the rule of law,” he said.
He also questioned the role, powers and membership of the Cybercrime Combating Committee.
