KUALA LUMPUR (June 22): Malaysia has tabled a new Bill to replace its existing law covering traditional computer-related crime to adapt to emerging technology.

The Cybercrime Bill 2026, tabled for first reading on Monday by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, covers offences including identity theft, transmission of manipulated content, and dissemination of intimate images.

“At present, cybercrime threats not only involve the intrusion of computer systems and data theft, but also encompass identity theft, online fraud, exploitation and ransomware attacks, as well as the misuse of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI),” Zahid said.

The new legislation comes at a time of rising AI-generated content and misinformation, as well as surging losses to online fraud. In Malaysia, losses due to such fraud were up 86% to RM2.9 billion in 2025, from a year earlier.

The Bill is an expansion to the law, and will replace the Computer Crimes Act 1997 now limited to unauthorised access, interception, and unauthorised modification of computer contents.

“Therefore, the Cybercrime Bill 2026 is important in preventing and combating increasingly complex cybercrime,” Zahid said.

The Bill also ensures that Malaysia fulfils its international obligations under the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention) and the United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime (UN Convention), he noted.

The Bill will provide regulatory and law enforcement powers relating to cybercrime and will be regulated by the National Cyber Security Agency, the National Security Council, and the Prime Minister’s Department.

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