By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, Dec 11: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Public Complaint Bureau (PCB) chief Milton Foo has urged the government to introduce stringent laws and take decisive action to combat the rising number of online scams involving mule accounts.
Foo expressed concern over the alarming rise in such cases, which have victimized many Malaysians, and called on the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Communications to address the issue urgently.
He said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) should play a pivotal role in addressing the misuse of mule accounts, while telecommunication companies must ensure locally registered mobile numbers are not easily exploited by scammers.
“Law and order must be in place to fight these scammers, who have already posed a serious threat to Malaysians,” Foo said during a press conference at SUPP Headquarters.
Foo supported Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent remarks suggesting that banks should be held accountable for unauthorized online transactions, particularly when negligence is involved.
He proposed imposing hefty penalties on banks found to have facilitated mule accounts.
He urged Bank Negara to disclose statistics on mule accounts reported in 2023 and 2024, noting that transparency is essential to understand the scale of the problem.
He also questioned why scammers could easily obtain multiple mobile numbers, calling on the Ministry of Communications and telecommunication companies to explain the matter.
“What has the Ministry of Communications done to protect Malaysians from untraceable mobile numbers that enable scammers to operate unchecked?” Foo asked.
“Scammers can obtain sensitive information and use it against unsuspecting victims. This issue needs immediate attention from all relevant authorities,” he said.
Foo concluded by urging the government to ensure Malaysians are protected from the rising tide of online scams, calling for collaboration among ministries, agencies, and private companies. — DayakDaily
