Saifuddin urges Asean to translate anti-crime pledges into results

ASEAN must act on commitments to combat transnational crime, especially online fraud and human smuggling, according to Malaysia's Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

Malaysia prioritises faster responses to illicit activities, improved investigations, and enhanced partnerships as ASEAN's 2025 chair prepares to bolster regional security collaborations.

Saifuddin highlighted Malaysia's efforts against transnational crime, including a 24-hour National Scam Response Centre and a new Cybercrime Bill to enhance legal and border controls.

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 20 — Asean must ensure that all commitments and cooperation frameworks agreed upon to combat transnational crime are translated into concrete action specifically in addressing online fraud, money laundering, and human smuggling.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the success of regional security cooperation should not be measured by the number of agreements reached, but rather by the effectiveness of enforcement actions taken against criminal networks.

He noted that the threat of transnational crime has become increasingly complex due to the misuse of digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI), necessitating a faster and more integrated response from Asean member states.

"Asean’s success cannot be measured solely by the number of agreements reached, but rather by the criminal networks dismantled, the victims protected, and the criminals brought to justice.

"This is the commitment that Malaysia is bringing to Manila. Regional cooperation must yield tangible benefits for the security of the people, rather than remaining merely as commitments on paper," he said when delivering the National Statement at the 20th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) in Manila, Philippines, today.

Saifuddin Nasution noted that Malaysia has outlined three priorities to strengthen Asean cooperation: accelerating cross-border responses to online fraud and illicit financial flows; enhancing investigative capabilities including the handling of digital evidence and asset recovery; and improving operational collaboration between member states and international partners.

He emphasised that the need to expedite such cooperation has become increasingly urgent, given that proceeds of crime can be moved across borders in a matter of minutes, whereas investigative and legal processes typically take much longer.

Consequently, he argued that regional cooperation mechanisms must prioritise the detection of illicit funds, the preservation of digital evidence, and the coordination of investigations to ensure that criminal syndicates cannot exploit gaps in law enforcement between nations.

Saifuddin Nasution highlighted that as Malaysia prepares to chair Asean in 2025, the country has laid a crucial foundation for regional security cooperation through the adoption of the Asean Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime (2026-2035) and the Melaka Declaration.

He added that the continuity of these efforts is further reinforced by the Work Programme of the Asean Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) for 2026-2028, which was adopted last June.

"Currently, our primary challenge is to ensure that all frameworks for cooperation has resulted in tangible actions and outcomes," he said.

Meanwhile, Saifuddin Nasution said Malaysia will continue to play an active role as an Asean voluntary lead country in the areas of money laundering and human trafficking, with the aim of strengthening information exchange, capacity building, and enforcement cooperation among member states.

He noted that Malaysia also hosted the inaugural meeting of the Asean Working Group on Money Laundering in Kuala Lumpur last April, as part of efforts to enhance the coordination of regional actions.

Saifuddin Nasution also shared the measures implemented by Malaysia to address transnational crime, including the establishment of the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) which operates 24 hours a day and can be reached via the 997 hotline since March.

Furthermore, he mentioned that Malaysia has strengthened its cyber-legal framework through the passing of the Cybercrime Bill 2026 in July, and has enhanced border controls by empowering the Malaysia Border Control and Protection Agency.

He added that efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism are also being pursued through the Malaysia Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (MyPCVE) 2024-2028, which focuses on prevention, enforcement, rehabilitation, and reintegration. — Bernama

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马来西亚内政部长拿督斯里赛夫丁纳苏蒂安伊斯梅尔表示，东盟必须履行打击跨国犯罪的承诺，特别是网络欺诈和人口走私。

马来西亚作为东盟 2025 年轮值主席国，正准备加强区域安全合作，并将加快对非法活动的反应速度、改进调查工作和加强伙伴关系列为优先事项。

赛夫丁重点介绍了马来西亚打击跨国犯罪的努力，包括设立24小时国家诈骗应对中心和制定新的网络犯罪法案，以加强法律和边境管制。

布城，10 月 20 日——东盟必须确保所有为打击跨国犯罪而达成的承诺和合作框架都能转化为具体行动，尤其是在打击网络诈骗、洗钱和人口走私方面。

内政部长拿督斯里赛夫丁·纳苏蒂安·伊斯梅尔表示，衡量区域安全合作的成功与否，不应以达成的协议数量来衡量，而应以打击犯罪网络的执法行动的有效性来衡量。

他指出，由于数字技术和人工智能（AI）的滥用，跨国犯罪的威胁变得越来越复杂，因此东盟成员国需要更快、更综合地应对。

“衡量东盟的成功不能仅仅用达成的协议数量来衡量，而应该用摧毁的犯罪网络、保护的受害者以及将罪犯绳之以法的数量来衡量。

“这是马来西亚向马尼拉做出的承诺。区域合作必须为人民安全带来切实利益，而不能仅仅停留在纸面上，”他今天在菲律宾马尼拉举行的第二十届东盟跨国犯罪部长级会议（AMMTC）上发表国家声明时说道。

赛夫丁·纳苏蒂安指出，马来西亚已制定了加强东盟合作的三项优先事项：加快跨境打击网络欺诈和非法资金流动；增强调查能力，包括处理数字证据和资产追回；以及改善成员国与国际伙伴之间的业务合作。

他强调，鉴于犯罪所得可以在几分钟内跨境转移，而调查和法律程序通常需要更长的时间，加快此类合作的必要性变得越来越迫切。

因此，他认为区域合作机制必须优先考虑查处非法资金、保存数字证据和协调调查，以确保犯罪集团不能利用各国执法方面的漏洞。

赛夫丁·纳苏蒂安强调，马来西亚在准备于 2025 年担任东盟轮值主席国之际，通过采纳《东盟打击跨国犯罪行动计划（2026-2035）》和《马六甲宣言》，为区域安全合作奠定了至关重要的基础。

他还补充说，东盟打击跨国犯罪问题高级官员会议（SOMTC）2026-2028 年工作方案于去年 6 月获得通过，进一步加强了这些努力的连续性。

“目前，我们面临的主要挑战是确保所有合作框架都能产生切实的行动和成果，”他说。

与此同时，赛夫丁·纳苏蒂安表示，马来西亚将继续作为东盟在洗钱和人口贩运领域的自愿领导国家发挥积极作用，旨在加强成员国之间的信息交流、能力建设和执法合作。

他指出，马来西亚去年 4 月还在吉隆坡主办了东盟反洗钱工作组首次会议，这是加强区域行动协调努力的一部分。

赛夫丁·纳苏蒂安还分享了马来西亚为应对跨国犯罪而采取的措施，包括自 3 月以来设立了 24 小时运作、可通过 997 热线联系的国家诈骗应对中心 (NSRC)。

此外，他还提到，马来西亚通过7月份通过的《2026年网络犯罪法案》加强了其网络法律框架，并通过赋予马来西亚边境管制和保护机构权力加强了边境管制。

他还补充说，打击恐怖主义和暴力极端主义的努力也正通过《2024-2028年马来西亚预防和打击暴力极端主义行动计划》（MyPCVE）进行，该计划侧重于预防、执法、康复和重返社会。——马新社

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