THERE were nearly 800,000 cyberattacks on government, businesses and individuals in Malaysia from 2017 to 2021, based on Cyber Security Malaysia (CSM) statistics, Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching said in parliament today.

“For example, for both January and February this year, we received more than 1,700 complaints of scam calls, which according to the national scam response centre (NSRC) cost victims RM27 million.

“Due to this, we see an increase in funding for the CSM from RM9 million in 2022 to RM23 million this year, and RM10 million to the NSRC,” she said when winding up the ministry’s debate on the Supply Bill 2023 at committee level in Dewan Rakyat today.

Meanwhile, Teo also said the ministry requested a larger budget for the Film In Malaysia Incentive (Fimi) as a government effort to attract investors in film activities in the country.

She said this was because the RM25 million in funding this year was much lower than the RM75.5 million expenditure, covering 39 projects.

Meanwhile, Teo denied ministry involvement in preventing Shahidan Kassim’s (Arau-PN) live broadcast of the debate on TikTok yesterday.

Teo described Shahidan’s accusations as irresponsible.

“The ministry is not involved… TikTok is not a company established in Malaysia or under the ministry and it will not simply listen to our instructions,” she said.

Shahidan replied that he was not accusing but simply asking for an explanation from the ministry.

The Dewan Rakyat then approved an allocation of RM991 million for the ministry under Budget 2023 at committee level through a majority vote. – Bernama, March 23, 2023.