The Royal Malaysia Police have escalated their search for activist Tamim Dahri Abdul Razak by requesting an international red notice through Interpol, marking a significant step in efforts to apprehend him as he remains at large overseas. The Home Ministry disclosed the move in a parliamentary response, indicating that authorities obtained an arrest warrant from Langkawi Magistrate's Court on May 17, 2026, and subsequently moved to formally blacklist the suspect.
The suspect is wanted to answer charges at the Langkawi Magistrate's Court, with the Home Ministry confirming through immigration records that Tamim Dahri is currently outside Malaysia's borders. To support the international pursuit, police pursued a dual-track enforcement strategy: they applied for cancellation of his passport while simultaneously submitting the Red Notice application to Interpol on June 8, 2026. This coordinated approach reflects standard protocol for tracking fugitives who have fled the country.
According to available reports, Tamim Dahri faces charges under Section 295 of the Penal Code, specifically related to allegations of damaging and desecrating a "soolam," a sacred symbol in Hindu religious practice. The incident reportedly occurred at the site of an old temple in Langkawi, Kedah. The charge carries significant implications, as it relates to religious harmony and communal sensitivities—matters that continue to occupy considerable space in Malaysia's legal and social discourse.
The Interpol Red Notice represents an important escalation in the manhunt. Unlike a blue notice, which seeks information about a person's whereabouts, a red notice is a formal request for arrest and extradition. Malaysia's move to pursue this mechanism suggests the authorities view apprehending the suspect as sufficiently important to warrant international law enforcement coordination. The process began with domestic enforcement measures before progressing to the international stage.
The Home Ministry's Parliamentary answer, provided in response to questioning by RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong), demonstrates that the government is prepared to deploy comprehensive enforcement tools available through its bilateral and multilateral arrangements. The involvement of the Immigration Department in tracking entry and exit patterns underscores how contemporary fugitive investigations integrate border control data with police operations.
In related parliamentary developments, the Home Ministry addressed queries concerning maritime security assets and cybercrime losses. The revised cost estimate for completing the second and third offshore patrol vessels for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency has been set at RM319.58 million, following the termination of the original procurement contract with THHE Destini Sdn Bhd on December 31, 2024. The first vessel, KM Tun Fatimah, was already handed over to MMEA on January 2, 2024.
According to the ministry, work on the remaining two vessels stalled pending appointment of a new contractor. The Finance Ministry's June 5 directive has now authorised the Home Ministry to proceed with price negotiations with prospective contractors. Discussions are ongoing with the liquidator regarding access to the Pulau Indah shipyard, with completion work potentially commencing as early as November 2026, contingent on shipyard activation.
Online fraud continues to plague Malaysia's digital economy, with the Home Ministry disclosing alarming statistics. Between January 2024 and May 2026, losses from online scams totalled RM5.37 billion, with three categories—non-existent investment schemes, telecommunications crimes, and e-financial crimes—accounting for over 90 percent of total losses. The breakdown reveals that investment fraud alone caused RM2.68 billion in losses, followed by telecommunications crimes at RM1.54 billion and e-financial crimes at RM660.64 million.
The remaining categories demonstrate the breadth of online fraud affecting Malaysian consumers. E-commerce scams resulted in RM250.81 million in losses, while fraudulent loan schemes generated RM138.92 million in damages. Love scams, though causing the lowest reported losses at RM111.08 million among the six categories, nevertheless represent an insidious threat affecting vulnerable individuals seeking romantic connections online.
To combat this scourge, the government has reinforced the National Scam Response Centre, a multi-agency collaboration integrating expertise from the Royal Malaysia Police, Bank Negara Malaysia, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, and financial institutions. The NSRC 997 hotline enables rapid response to scam reports, with particular focus on blocking money transfers during the critical window before funds exit the domestic banking system. This interagency approach reflects recognition that tackling cybercrime requires coordination across law enforcement, financial regulation, and telecommunications oversight.
The effectiveness of such mechanisms remains critical as Malaysians increasingly conduct financial transactions online. The scale of losses documented—nearly RM5.4 billion over just 17 months—represents not merely individual financial hardship but systemic vulnerability within Malaysia's digital infrastructure. Investment fraud's predominance suggests that organised syndicates are targeting savings and retirement funds, while telecommunications crimes indicate widespread SIM card cloning and identity theft operations.
Both the Tamim Dahri pursuit and the cybercrime statistics highlight evolving challenges facing Malaysian law enforcement and regulatory agencies. The Interpol application signals Malaysia's willingness to pursue suspects across borders for domestic offences, particularly those involving religious sensitivities. Simultaneously, the staggering scam losses underscore why coordinated international and domestic responses remain essential for protecting citizens in an increasingly digital society.
