Kuala lumpur: Losses due to online fraud crimes in Malaysia have recorded an alarming RM958 million from January to June this year, said Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil. He noted that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is intensifying efforts to take down harmful content on various digital platforms, in line with the increasing threat.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Fahmi stated that during the period from January 1 to yesterday, a total of 470,593 harmful contents were requested to be removed from social media platforms. Of that total, platform providers agreed to take down 93 per cent, which amounts to 436,661 contents. The breakdown of harmful content shows that 64 per cent were related to gambling, while 27 per cent were scams.

During a press conference following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchange between the Malaysian Immigration Department (JIM) and MCMC, Fahmi highlighted that Facebook was the primary medium associated with online gambling content, accounting for 78 per cent. It was followed by YouTube at 18 per cent, and TikTok at four per cent. For fraudulent content, Facebook again recorded the highest percentage at 53 per cent, followed by TikTok at 39 per cent, and Threads at five per cent.

In his remarks, Fahmi emphasized that social media platform providers must adopt a more proactive role in detecting, blocking, and removing harmful content, rather than relying solely on reports from authorities or user complaints. "Platforms must shoulder greater responsibility to ensure a safe online environment," he asserted.

He also noted that MCMC is intensifying operations and intelligence-based investigations to curb criminal activities in cyberspace. This includes strengthening mandatory standards for end-user registration of prepaid public cellular services and enhancing measures related to digital identity verification.

Earlier in the day, Fahmi witnessed the exchange of MoUs between JIM and MCMC, which aims to bolster cooperation in enforcement, intelligence sharing, and joint investigations involving cross-border crime and communication technology. The ceremony was also attended by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, MCMC chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din, and Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban.