Deputy prime minister says the Cyber Crime Bill 2026 allows the prosecution of overseas cybercrime offenders as though the offences had been committed in Malaysia.
Key takeaways
Malaysian Minister Zahid Hamidi stated that the Cyber Crime Bill 2026 enables legal action against foreign cybercriminals and addresses AI-driven threats. The legislation, passed in July, replaces the 1997 Computer Crimes Act to close legal gaps regarding cross-border offenses and deepfakes.
- Clause 2 allows prosecution of foreign offenders as if crimes occurred in Malaysia.
- Clause 23 expands impersonation offenses to cover complex deepfake threats.
- Clauses 38 to 41 grant investigative powers for data preservation and interception.
Summarised automatically by AI from the original article by Free Malaysia Today. AI can make mistakes, so check the original for details.
Deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said where requirements are met, foreign-based criminals can be extradited to Malaysia.KUALA LUMPUR: Legal action can be taken against cybercriminals operating overseas if their offences involve Malaysian systems or their victims are Malaysian citizens, deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says.
He said Clause 2 of the Cyber Crime Bill 2026 provides for legal action against offenders abroad as though the offences had been committed in Malaysia.
"The government is leveraging existing international cooperation mechanisms to ensure that foreign-based criminals can be investigated, prosecuted and, where the requirements are met, extradited to Malaysia," he said in a written reply on the Parliament website.
%2Ffile%2Fattachments%2Forphans%2F222_620947.png&w=480&output=webp&q=85&we)