KUALA LUMPUR – Many individuals from the Asean member states have been tricked, trafficked and forced to work under harrowing conditions in scam centres across the region – a worsening crisis that demands urgent, coordinated action, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said today.
He called on Asean to step up regional cooperation, harmonise legal frameworks, and improve information-sharing mechanisms in the face of growing cybercrime threats and cross-border criminal networks.
“These people have lost their freedom, their dignity, and their life savings,” Mohamad said in his opening speech during the 29th Asean Political-Security Community (APSC) Council Meeting, held in conjunction with the 46th Asean Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
“They’ve been trafficked into forced labour by deceptive schemes. These widespread illegal online operations also have a detrimental impact on the economies of Asean member states.”
While Asean has increased efforts in recent years to combat cybercrime, he warned that criminal syndicates are constantly evolving.
“The crime syndicates have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to relocate or rebuild their operations,” he said.
He also stressed that the region must adapt quickly to a fast-changing digital landscape.
“The rapid advancement of technology and the expanding domain of cyberspace not only necessitate the safeguarding of the region’s digital ecosystem and networks but also require that their resilience be fortified against emerging threats.”
Mohamad said the region is facing a volatile global backdrop – marked by heightened geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, and transnational challenges – which only makes the need for stronger Asean cooperation more urgent.
Themed Inclusivity and Sustainability, Malaysia’s 2025 Asean chairmanship will also host the 2nd Asean-GCC Summit and the first-ever Asean-GCC-China Summit this week, aimed at deepening regional and inter-regional partnerships.
This is Malaysia’s fifth time chairing the bloc, having done so in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015. – May 25, 2025