Chairman and AMMTC Leader of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution,
Excellencies and distinguished delegates,
1. Good morning.
Introduction
2. This is my first time at the ASEAN Ministerial on Transnational Crimes. I thank Malaysia for hosting the 19th AMMTC and for your warm welcome, wonderful food and hospitality, I feel very much at home.
3. The AMMTC is an important platform for ASEAN to discuss and deepen regional cooperation to combat transnational crimes. Today, I wish to highlight three areas of concern to ASEAN: scams and cybercrime, illicit drug trafficking, and terrorism.
Scams and Cybercrime
4. In 2023, countries in East and Southeast Asia were estimated to have lost nearly US$37 billion to scams[1]. Singapore was not spared either: in 2023, scam victims in Singapore lost at least US$500 million. In 2024, the total amount lost surged to a record US$850 million, which was a 70% increase from the previous year[2].
5. Now, Singapore adopts a whole-of-society approach to combat scams, including the Government, the private sector, and the community.
(a) On the Government side, the Singapore Police Force partnered technology agencies to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning to identify and take down scam-related websites more effectively. Now, these capabilities enhance the effectiveness of our Anti Scam Command and keep up with the fast-evolving tactics of our scam perpetrators.
(b) With the private sector, the Singapore Police Force worked closely with our telecommunication companies and industry stakeholders, such as Google, Meta and Carousell. And together, they disabled more than 57,000 scam-related mobile lines and almost 45,000 websites[3].
(c) The public must also take responsibility for their own online safety. Therefore, at the community level, the ScamShield Suite, which comprises of a mobile application, a helpline, and a website, was actually launched to provide the public with easy access to tools to protect themselves from scams. They will also receive real time alerts on the latest scam trends. Since its launch, the ScamShield helpline has received around 500 calls a day and the website has attracted more than 1.2 million users[4].
6. Collaboration at the regional level is just as important. The Singapore Police Force and the Royal Malaysia Police cooperated and worked closely and dismantled 16 transnational scam syndicates in 2024 through information sharing and joint operations. These efforts led to the arrest of more than 150 individuals responsible for over 2,300 transnational scam cases, involving losses exceeding US$45 million[5].
7. In October 2024, we formed a cross-border Anti-Scam alliance, named FRONTIER+[6]. This alliance comprises regional and international anti-scam agencies from 11 countries: Singapore, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Republic of Korea and Thailand. With this initiative, we can streamline cross-border tracing and recover stolen funds more quickly.
8. Your excellencies, Singapore strongly supports the adoption of the ASEAN Declaration on Combating Cybercrime and Online Scams. It expresses our commitment and desire for a coordinated response against the growing regional threat of online scams. Singapore is exploring the establishment of an ASEAN Task Force to coordinate cross-border operations to dismantle scam syndicates and to build capacity through specialised training for law enforcement officers.
9. As the Voluntary Lead Shepherd for Cybercrime and Online Scams, we value ASEAN Member States’ strong support in the cybercrime-related initiatives over the past year. We welcome the setting up of anti-scam entities in various ASEAN Member States and we look forward to work more closely to combat cybercrime and online scams and to improve the recovery of criminal proceeds. We also welcome our ASEAN partners to visit our Singapore Anti-Scam Command and we can enhance our mutual learning together.
Illicit Drug Abuse and Trafficking
10. Another area of concern is drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking. In 2024, a record 236 tons of methamphetamine were seized in East and Southeast Asia. This is an alarming 24% increase when compared to the previous year[7].
11. Although Singapore’s overall drug situation remains under control, the growing trend of younger people abusing drugs is deeply worrying. Since 2023, more than half of the new drug abusers arrested were younger than 30 years old. The youngest among them was only 13 years old[8].
12. At the international level, many countries have adopted permissive drugs policies. Singapore remains firm on our strict zero-tolerance stance towards drugs and remains committed to building a drug-free community.
13. This May, Singapore held our second Drug Victims Remembrance Day, which serves as a solemn reminder of the devastating impact of drugs, not just on the drug abusers but also on their families and the community. It is a call for the community to stand together in support of the anti-drug cause.
14. Your excellencies, Singapore proposes to establish an ASEAN Drug Victims Remembrance Day to coincide with the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 June. The proposal will be presented for endorsement at the next ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters in Philippines next year. I look forward to Member States’ support for this initiative.
Terrorism
15. Lastly, the threat of terrorism. Singapore, like other ASEAN Member States, remains vulnerable to terrorism threats, more so with the escalating tensions in the region and persistence of online radicalisation.
16. 52 self-radicalised individuals have been detained in Singapore, under the Internal Security Act since 2015, with 13 of them aged 20 years old or younger[9]. Extremist ideologies such as Far-Right and Islamist extremism, pose the biggest online radicalisation threat in Singapore.
17. In one case, a 33-year-old former public servant was radicalised after joining several social media groups linked to the ‘Axis of Resistance’. She became heavily involved in these groups, going as far as to issue threats against Jews and incite violence against Singapore[10].
18. The authorities may not always succeed in stopping terror plots. And that is why public vigilance and building the community’s emergency preparedness is part of our strategy against terrorism. More than 20 counterterrorism and emergency preparedness exercises have been organised since 2023[11].
19. Singapore also works closely with religious and community partners to prevent radical extremism, particularly on online platforms, from breeding in our society.
20. Singapore remains committed to work with ASEAN Member States to strengthen our collective defence to deter, detect and disrupt the activities of terrorists and radicalised individuals.
Conclusion
21. Your Excellencies, ASEAN Member States need to remain united. We must strengthen our collaboration to effectively combat the evolving transnational crime, and towards a safer and more secure ASEAN.
22. I wish everyone a fruitful AMMTC with many constructive discussions.
23. Thank you.
[1] United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Transnational Organized Crime and the Convergence of Cyber-Enabled Fraud, Underground Banking and Technological Innovation in Southeast Asia: A Shifting Threat Landscape.
[2] SPF Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief 2024
[3] SPF Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief 2024
[4] SPF Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief 2024
[5] SPF Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief 2024
[6] FRONTIER+ is a regional initiative that focuses on dismantling scam networks, reducing financial losses for victims and enhancing capability building through the sharing of intelligence and practices.
[7] 2025 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Report, Synthetic Drugs in East and Southeast Asia
[8] CNB Annual Report 2024
[9] ISD Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2024
[10] ISD Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2024
[11] ISD Singapore Terrorism Threat Assessment Report 2024
