SINGAPORE: Online fraud is a big issue not only for Malaysia but for many countries, said Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching.

She said this was based on the findings of the G2G Ministerial Roundtable: Scams And AI Governance, which she attended on the sidelines of the four-day Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG) event that ended on Friday.

The two-hour roundtable was attended by representatives from 14 countries and was chaired by Singapore's Communications and Information Minister Josephine Teo.

Nie Ching was in Singapore for a three-day visit from June 5 at the invitation of the Singapore Communications and Information Ministry (MCI) in conjunction with the organisation of ATxSG which took place at Capella Singapore.

"If we (the government) only want to overcome online fraud, it is not practical because behind the fraud is a very sophisticated trans-boundary syndicate.

"So, we need to share information so that we can take faster action," she told Bernama at the end of her visit to the republic.

Nie Ching also revealed that at the same time, the government was also facing the problem of lack of cooperation among various platforms or Over-The-Top (OTT) providers which are generally tech giants.

"There are OTTs that do not intend to have a dialogue. There are OTTs who are present in the meeting but what they do still does not meet the standard or requirement that we want to impose on them.

"It is very difficult for a government or country to negotiate with them but if we combine neighbouring countries in Asean in an effort to engage with the OTT... it is more effective," she said.

According to her, many countries expressed their agreement with the views she voiced.

"So, I hope that at least at the Asean level, we can use this way (of joining together) to ensure that all these social media platform providers provide a safe platform for users," she said.

During the visit, Nie Ching also held a bilateral meeting with Japan's Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Dr Kunimitsu Ayano.

In the meeting, she stated that one of the topics of discussion was cooperation related to 5G private network which has been widely used in Japan.

"At the Malaysian level, MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) is writing a policy related to this 5G private network," said Nie Ching.

However, she is confident that the sharing of Japan's experience can ensure that when 5G private network starts in Malaysia, "we will meet the international standard and we will also avoid mistakes that have been made by other countries".

On the first day of her visit, Nie Ching paid an official visit to the Minister of State for MCI, Dr Janil Puthucheary, at Hill Street, here.

ATxSG, a tech event where technology intersects with society and the digital economy, is organised by the republic's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Informa Tech. - BERNAMA

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/06/918633/teo-nie-ching-online-fraud-big-issue-many-countries