KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 — Malaysian enforcement agencies have frozen up to RM4.3 billion in funds and 2.1 million shares up to 2026 as part of ongoing anti-money laundering operations, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told Parliament today, citing police enforcement statistics.
Anwar said his government has stepped up efforts to crack down on white-collar crime, which resulted in billions of ringgit seized and hundreds of prosecutions.
Between 2022 to September 2026, the Securities Commission has initiated 239 criminal charges against 50 individuals or entities compared to just 76 charges against 33 individuals or entities during the same period from 2017 to 2021.
“The total number of criminal charges has increased more than threefold,” Anwar, who is also finance minister, said during PM Question Time.
The network of corporate crime cases that have been rampant includes criminal acquisition and takeover of companies listed on Bursa Malaysia as well as private companies, stock market manipulation, violations of corporate disclosure and regulatory laws, and illegal money-lending activities, he added.
The government had seized an additional RM1 billion along with 2.1 million shares during the same period, while other enforcement actions further resulted in RM48 million in forfeited assets and RM1.1 billion in financial compounds issued to offenders.
“An additional sum of more than RM3 billion remains subject to ongoing court forfeiture proceedings aimed at recovering assets for the government,” Anwar said.