The Royal Malaysia Police have escalated their hunt for activist Tamim Dahri Abdul Razak by enlisting the assistance of the International Criminal Police Organisation, submitting an application for a Red Notice to locate him abroad. The Home Ministry disclosed the development on July 15 in response to parliamentary questions, indicating that authorities believe the suspect remains outside Malaysia despite efforts to apprehend him domestically.
Tamim Dahri is wanted to answer charges in the Langkawi Magistrate's Court stemming from allegations that he damaged and desecrated a soolam, a sacred symbol in Hindu religious practice, at the site of a historic temple in Langkawi, Kedah. The charge falls under Section 295 of the Penal Code, which carries penalties for acts of desecration against objects held sacred by any religious community. The case touches on sensitive religious and communal sensitivities that have prompted swift action from law enforcement authorities.
Police obtained an arrest warrant from the Langkawi Magistrate's Court on May 17, 2026, and subsequently entered the suspect's name onto the immigration blacklist to prevent his entry or exit from Malaysia. However, a review of immigration records by the Home Ministry confirmed that Tamim Dahri had already departed the country and remained overseas at the time the warrant was issued. This discovery prompted authorities to escalate their efforts beyond Malaysia's borders.
The enforcement strategy unfolded in stages over several weeks. First, the Royal Malaysia Police applied to cancel the suspect's passport, a standard procedure to restrict movement and facilitate his eventual apprehension should he attempt to travel using Malaysian documentation. Following this administrative action, police lodged a formal application for an Interpol Red Notice on June 8, 2026. This international mechanism alerts law enforcement agencies across Interpol's member countries to the suspect's wanted status and facilitates cooperation in locating and returning him to face trial.
The use of Interpol procedures represents a deliberate choice by Malaysian authorities to internationalise the search. A Red Notice, one of Interpol's most serious alert mechanisms, is circulated to all member nations and signals that a person is wanted for serious criminal offences. The notice prompts immigration officials at border checkpoints, airport authorities, and local police forces worldwide to apprehend the individual if encountered. For Malaysian law enforcement, this represents acknowledgment that traditional domestic mechanisms had proven insufficient given the suspect's apparent relocation abroad.
Parliamentary questions about the case were raised by RSN Rayer, the Member of Parliament for Jelutong representing Pakatan Harapan, reflecting broader interest in how such cases are handled when suspects flee the country. The matter also touches on questions of religious sensitivities and communal harmony, issues that command considerable attention in Malaysia's multi-religious society. The Home Ministry's detailed response outlined the procedural steps taken, demonstrating government awareness of the case's public profile.
Separately, the Home Ministry disclosed substantial financial revisions affecting maritime security infrastructure. The cost to complete two remaining offshore patrol vessels for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency has been revised upward to RM319.58 million. These vessels represent crucial assets for Malaysia's maritime enforcement capabilities, particularly given the country's extensive coastline and maritime economic zones. The original contract with THHE Destini Sdn Bhd for three vessels was mutually terminated on December 31, 2024, leaving the second and third vessels incomplete.
The first vessel, KM Tun Fatimah, was successfully delivered to the maritime agency on January 2, 2024, providing operational capability while the remaining two vessels await completion. Authorities now face the challenge of procuring completion services, with the Home Ministry conducting price negotiations following guidance from the Ministry of Finance issued on June 5. Discussions are underway with a liquidator regarding access to the Pulau Indah shipyard, where work on the vessels is anticipated to resume. The ministry expressed hopes that substantive completion work could commence as early as November 2026, contingent on the shipyard's operational status.
In matters of cybercrime and online fraud, the Home Ministry provided extensive data to Parliament regarding the staggering scale of losses afflicting Malaysian consumers. Between January 2024 and May 2026, fake investment schemes alone accounted for RM2.68 billion in losses from an overall RM5.37 billion loss pool. Telecommunications crimes contributed RM1.54 billion, while e-financial crimes accounted for RM660.64 million. Together, these three categories represent over 90 percent of total online fraud losses, underscoring the dominance of specific scam typologies in Malaysia's cybercrime landscape.
The financial toll extends across multiple fraud categories, with e-commerce crimes responsible for RM250.81 million in losses, non-existent loan schemes for RM138.92 million, and romance or love scams accounting for RM111.08 million. The breadth of scam categories reflects the sophistication and diversification of criminal operations targeting Malaysian households and businesses. These figures, presented to MP Chong Chieng Jen of Pakatan Harapan representing Stampin, illustrate the persistent vulnerability of the Malaysian population to online financial crimes despite growing awareness campaigns.
In response to this crisis, the government has strengthened the National Scam Response Centre as a centralised coordination point combining expertise from the Royal Malaysia Police, Bank Negara Malaysia, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, and private financial institutions. This multi-agency approach aims to create rapid response capacity against live scam cases. The NSRC 997 hotline enables reporting and facilitates emergency intervention to block fund transfers during critical periods, preventing criminals from moving victim money out of the Malaysian banking system to overseas accounts.
The establishment of such mechanisms reflects recognition that online financial crime requires real-time coordination across law enforcement, banking, and communications sectors. Traditional police investigations alone cannot match the speed at which digital criminals operate, particularly when victim funds must be intercepted before international transfer. The integration of banking system controls with police capabilities provides a more comprehensive defence against the wave of fraud affecting Malaysian consumers, though the continued massive losses suggest that preventive and investigative efforts remain substantially outpaced by criminal innovation and victim vulnerability.
