THE information communication and culture ministry has opened 20 investigation papers on cyber crimes over the first three months of the year, the Dewan Negara was told yesterday.
The crimes comprised dissemination of lies, misuse of information, defamation, sedition and pornography.
Deputy minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said all investigations were carried out under Section 211 and 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588) which provided a jail term not exceeding one year, or fine up to RM50,000, or both, upon conviction.
Salang said throughout last year, 582 investigation papers were opened and probed, 422 of which were under Section 211 and 233 of the Act.
Apart from the Act, those who were found to have abused the Internet, could also be charged under the Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989, Capital Markets and Services Act 2007, Sedition Act 1948, Defamation Act 1957 or even under the Penal Code, he said.
“Besides taking the culprits to court, the M a l a y s i a n Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will also take technical action, like blocking the access to phishing, fraud, illegal investment and pornography websites,” he said.
To further combat such crimes, MCMC had also set up a bureau to receive complaints to enable the commission to start identifying and probing those responsible for providing and disseminating the content for such websites, he added. — Bernama