Experts call for cybersecurity to be treated as a national security priority in Malaysia
Malaysian experts argue that cyber threats have grown beyond IT issues and now pose risks to national security, urging stronger government and industry action.
Cybersecurity is no longer a purely technical matter, according to Malaysian experts who say it now threatens national security. Siraj Jalil of the Malaysia Cyber Consumer Association cited a consumer scam report showing high anxiety about scams, but warned that protection measures lag behind public awareness. He pointed out that generative AI enables highly convincing phishing, deepfakes, and voice cloning, complicating detection.
Associate Professor Mohd Khairie Ahmad of Universiti Utara Malaysia linked data breaches to erosion of public trust and potential damage to the country's reputation among investors. Aras Integrasi executives Faurani Jaafar and Farul Mohd Ghazali emphasized the importance of safeguarding strategic data, such as military procurement details, and building local expertise to reduce reliance on foreign vendors. Deputy Digital Minister Wilson Ugak Kumbong echoed these calls at a regional cyber-security conference, stressing the need for domestic capabilities to support Malaysia’s AI Nation ambition.
Why it matters
Weak cyber defenses can compromise national security, public trust, and economic stability.
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