The Cyber Crime Bill gives the courts the power to issue orders freezing assets even before a suspect has been charged, to prevent scam proceeds and other assets from being moved away, Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi said.
In a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat, Zahid said asset freezing orders were among the orders the courts could issue to prevent or stop breaches of the law. The others include cessation orders, restitution orders for victims and compliance orders.
He said applications for these orders could be made by the public prosecutor or an authorised officer.
Zahid was replying to Shamshulkahar Deli (BN-Jempol), who asked whether the existing legal framework was adequate to deal with AI-driven online fraud and about provisions to speed up action against syndicates and protect victims.
He said the bill, which Parliament passed in July, was drafted to tackle online fraud using artificial intelligence, including identity impersonation, deepfakes and digital manipulation.
This article is general information, not legal advice. For advice on your own situation, speak to a lawyer.