The Cybercrime Bill 2026 is getting its first reading today in Bernama to explicitly criminalise digital identity theft, as the human identity progress makes a significant impact across Asia.
Firstly in reports, the Deputy Prime Minister in Bernama has commented on the cyber threat landscape spiralling out of control to severely attack computer systems, stealing data and identities, facilitating AI misuse, online fraud, exploitation and ransomware attacks.
The bill will provide a regulatory upgrade and grant law enforcement powers superior to the Computer Crimes Act 1997, whilst the bill progresses to second and third hearings scheduled for July 1.
A more “sustainable legal framework”, the bill will strengthen the entire national cybersecurity ecosystem, incubate innovation, more public protection, and remain Malaysia’s competitiveness in terms of stopping various types of cybercrimes computer offences. Penalties also come into force relating to computer forgeries, illegal communications, or offences relating to the national digital identity service. They are penalties outlined in 61 Clauses of the Bill.
Malaysia also announced adding real-time facial biometric verification to its physical registration kiosks to sort out local identity theft.
Existing MyDigital ID users will also face periodic face re-verification to fight identity theft and dark web credential exposure.
