Petaling Jaya, 14 September 2025 — A rising number of Malaysian Members of Parliament (MPs) have come forward, reporting that they are being targeted by cybercriminals wielding AI-generated fabricated videos and demanding large sums of money to prevent the content from being released.
Among those affected are Dr. Mohammed Taufiq Johari, MP for Sungai Petani, and Mohd Najwan Halimi, Assemblyman for Kota Anggerik. According to the reports, both received threatening emails on 12 September, featuring doctored videos purporting to show them in compromising situations, together with ransom demands of US$100,000 (roughly RM 470,000) each. They have lodged reports with both the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the police.
The incidents are part of a broader pattern. Other lawmakers named include Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli of Pandan, Wong Chen of Subang, and Chan Foong Hin of Kota Kinabalu. Each of them says they received similar blackmail emails—sometimes including doctored screenshots or fake videos, along with QR codes or instructions for payment. None have paid, and all have formally lodged complaints with the authorities.
Wong Chen, who previously served as an Opposition MP, said the attacks have made him feel that his safety as a legislator has worsened compared to past years. “The fact that this blackmail attempt was so fake and so badly executed, worries me more,” he remarked, pointing to the glaring flaws in the fake material as evidence of both brazenness and desperation in the tactics being used.
The method employed by the blackmailers appears largely consistent across the cases: email threats paired with manipulated or fake visual content (often AI-generated), accompanied by demands for large payments under threat of publication. The perpetrators typically pose as anonymous senders and use fear as leverage. Lawmakers believe the intent is intimidation and reputational damage, rather than a carefully planned campaign.
In response, the targeted MPs have urged regulatory and law enforcement bodies to take decisive action. The MCMC has become a focal point for collecting reports of such incidents, as has the police force, which is expected to launch investigations into the creators of these doctored materials. The trend has prompted public concern over AI misuse, digital harassment, and the adequacy of existing legal protections.
