KUALA LUMPUR: More effort should be made to properly equip the police force to successfully tackle the threat of cybercrimes, especially scams, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
While lauding the government's plan to enhance the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) and the Penal Code, the Alliance for a Safe Community chairman said the police, especially the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), should also be provided with sufficient assets and equipment.
"I fully support the call to strengthen the relevant laws to combat cybercrimes, as the number of scam victims in the country is increasing daily. Fine-tuning both laws could properly address and curb cybercrimes, in line with technological advancements and the complexity of such crimes," he said when contacted on Saturday (June 22).
Additionally, Lee emphasised that the CCID should be better equipped with sufficient resources and personnel. "The current strength of the CCID is not enough to deal with such crimes effectively," he added.
Lee also called for more training for CCID personnel, so they could have the necessary expertise to effectively combat online scams. "Scams have become the number one public enemy. In view of the frequent scam cases, the public must be more vigilant," he said.
He stressed the importance of digital literacy among Malaysians, especially senior citizens, to prevent them from becoming easy prey for scammers.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced on Friday (June 21) that the government would fine-tune amendments to the CPC and Penal Code to address cybercrimes.
Bukit Aman CCID director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said among the proposed changes to the Penal Code would be clearer and stricter actions against mule account holders.
"Especially on the mule accounts. The current law might not be sufficient, and we often have to charge under the Minor Offences Act, which has many interpretations and issues. Some are reluctant to bring cases forward due to 'not enough evidence'," he said.
"We have heard of people holding stacks of ATM cards. We hope with these changes, people will not easily give their ATM cards or open bank accounts on behalf of others, as they could be held liable as well," he added.
