“They can be prosecuted” – Zahid Hamidi Says Foreign Cybercriminals Could Be Extradited To M’sia For Targeting Locals

In a move to bolster national digital security, the government has affirmed that foreign-based hackers and scammers can be investigated, prosecuted, and extradited to Malaysia if their illegal activities target local systems or Malaysian citizens.

According to a written Parliamentary response by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, this cross-border enforcement capability is explicitly embedded within Clause 2 of the Cybercrime Bill 2026, acknowledging the borderless nature of modern digital threats as reported by Berita Harian.

“The government utilises existing international cooperation mechanisms to ensure foreign criminals can be investigated. Perpetrators can be prosecuted and, if requirements are met, extradited to Malaysia,” Ahmad Zahid said in a written parliamentary reply.

He was responding to a question from Jempol MP Datuk Shamshulkahar Mohd Deli  regarding the adequacy of existing laws against AI scams, Zahid explained that legacy frameworks could no longer keep pace with modern digital deception.

Tackling AI deepfakes, digital impersonation, and fast-moving scams

Berita Harian reported that the Cybercrime Bill 2026, which passed Parliament in July and officially repeals the legacy Computer Crimes Act 1997, was specifically drafted to counter sophisticated online fraud powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, including deepfakes, voice cloning, and synthetic media manipulation.

“Existing laws were no longer sufficient to address deepfakes, which are capable of producing fake videos, images, and audio that are nearly indistinguishable from reality for cheating and deceiving the public,” he noted.

Under Clause 23 of the new bill, the scope of digital impersonation offenses committed via computer systems has been significantly expanded to cover sophisticated AI manipulation.

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Swift investigative powers and court protection orders for victims

Berita Harian reported that to outpace cyber syndicates who frequently wipe or transfer digital evidence within seconds, Clauses 38 through 41 grant law enforcement crucial powers for traffic data collection and communication interception under strict oversight mechanisms.

Furthermore, Clause 54 empowers the courts to issue immediate protective and preventive orders upon application by prosecutors, even before a suspect is formally charged in court. These include:

• Stoppage and Compliance Orders: Halting active digital violations and enforcing immediate platform compliance.

• Asset Freezing Orders: Blocking illicit funds and assets to prevent scammers from siphoning off stolen money.

• Restitution Orders: Directing the return of recovered funds to victims of financial fraud.

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