Saifuddin urges Asean to translate anti-crime pledges into results

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