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Hadi Azmi

Malaysian ministers have urged Asean to look to artificial intelligence (AI) to help combat rampant online fraud by organised crime gangs, which are raking in billions of dollars each year.
In 2023 alone, cybercrime caused financial losses of up to US$37 billion, making it among the most pressing challenges for the region, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said.
Scam farms – mainly run by Chinese criminals – have gravitated to the Mekong region which borders Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.
Speaking on Tuesday, Malaysia’s Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution called for the bloc to adopt AI in fighting crime, saying the adoption of the technology by criminal groups “leaves us no choice”.
“We must prioritise upskilling our workforce, mastering these advanced tools, and developing innovative solutions to counter emerging threats,” Saifuddin said.
Malaysia is the current Asean chair.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi called for the creation of an Interpol-style Asean Cybercrime Task Force to tackle the region’s growing digital threats through real-time intelligence sharing and collaboration.
“While discussions are valuable, execution is imperative,” Ahmad Zahid said on Monday.
The country’s focus on AI has grown following investments from global tech giants such as Microsoft, Nvidia and Amazon Web Services.
The Malaysian government has allocated 600 million ringgit (US$134 million) for AI research and development in 2025, targeting sectors such as healthcare, agriculture and cybersecurity.
Despite these advancements, security expert Munira Mustaffa from Chasseur Group cautioned that the deployment of AI in law enforcement could create a new set of unpredictable problems.
“The use of AI in law enforcement lacks the nuance, empathy and ethical judgment,” Munira told This Week in Asia. “The AI systems still have a ‘black box’ problem that would challenge accountability and transparency.”
She added that the growing reliance on hyper-surveillance raised significant concerns about privacy and civil liberties, especially in a region where privacy laws and cultural attitudes towards data protection remained inadequate.


Predictive policing algorithms, while potentially transformative, risk perpetuating racial bias and discriminatory practices, further undermining public trust in law enforcement.
“Moreover, there are disparities in digital infrastructure and cybersecurity capabilities among Asean members,” Munira said. “It’s not an equal playing ground yet.”
Unlike the European Union, which benefits from a shared democratic framework, Asean’s principle of non-interference has historically limited its ability to enforce collective action.
“Translating regional resolutions into national-level implementation requires both coordination and enforcement,” said Hafidzi Razali, CEO and founder of public affairs, policy advisory and strategic communications firm Strategic Counsel.
The UNODC has warned that crime groups are adopting technology faster than governments trying to tackle them.


Malaysia urges Asean to adopt AI to help tackle rising digital threats

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France seizes tonnes of ‘aphrodisiac honey’ from Malaysia

Malaysian police probe flags of China on dragon puppet at Johor parade

Malaysia

The letters AI for artificial intelligence on a laptop screen (right) next to the logo of the Chat AI application on a smartphone screen. Photo: TNS

Participants check a Microsoft booth during a tech event in Kuala Lumpur in May 2024. Photo: AFP

Rohingya in Malaysia turn to tech to fight erasure, ‘have an identity’

Abu, a Rohingya refugee in Malaysia, organises activities to support young people who lack access to formal education. Photo: Steven Ooi/MSF

An aerial view shows burned-down villages once inhabited by Rohingya people in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state in 2018. Photo: Reuters

Muhammad Noor speaks at an event in Bangkok last month. Photo: Handout

A Rohingya refugee and his wife look at a computer screen displaying threats and hate speech they have received, at their home in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Reuters

Malaysia’s Anwar urges ‘extraordinary speed’ in AI adoption to drive digital economy

An artificial intelligence robot using machine learning and AI to analyse a person’s health and give advice. Photo: Shutterstock

Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim speaking at the groundbreaking of Malaysia’s first Google data centre in Kuala Lumpur in October. Photo: AFP

Anger, intrigue as Malaysians turn to AI to scrutinise Fashion Valet losses

Vivy Yusof, co-founder of Malaysian e-commerce firm Fashion Valet. Photo: Instagram/vivyyusof

Malaysia pushes AI upskilling courses to ‘future-proof’ economy: ‘data is the new oil’

People walk past a mural featuring the Malaysian flag in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is eyeing regional leadership in cloud computing, machine learning and as a gateway for global tech start-ups. Photo: EPA-EFE

A woman checks her mobile phone in Kuala Lumpur. Alongside renewable energy, AI has been one of the key themes of Anwar’s administration to wean Malaysia off its reliance on its depleting oil reserves. Photo: AFP

Malaysia’s Minister of Economic Affairs Rafizi Ramli. Photo: Bloomberg

Malaysia’s tech hub ambition takes major leap with new ministry spearheading digital transformation

Malaysia’s Gobind Singh Deo speaks at an event in Kuala Lumpur on August 27, 2018. He is the country’s first “minister of digital”. Photo: Shutterstock

A smartphone with a displayed Nvidia logo. Nvidia is partnering Malaysian conglomerate YTL in a US$4.3 billion deal to deploy AI technology in Malaysia. Photo: Reuters

This Week in Asia

Politics

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

Upskilling workforces, creation of Interpol-style Asean Cybercrime Task Force among proposals from Malaysian ministers to counter online fraud


Upskilling workforces, creation of Interpol-style Asean Cybercrime Task Force among proposals from Malaysian ministers to counter online fraud.


Asean

Artificial intelligence

Crime

Cybersecurity