Kuala lumpur: The Communications Ministry will intensify efforts to raise public awareness on the importance of the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC)'s 997 hotline to curb online scams, said its Minister, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. He emphasized that community service campaigns will be conducted with several agencies, including the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas), and will be broadcast in cinemas, on television, and radio stations in various languages.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Fahmi stated that scammers do not only focus on one community but target every community. Under the Department of Broadcasting, there are six television stations and 34 radio stations, and this will be the priority and the first step in the campaign. He shared this information during a media conference on the Lembah Pantai Parliamentary Constituency Nur Ramadan Programme.

Fahmi also advised the public to remain vigilant against messages containing links to get-rich-quick schemes or requests for money transfers via messaging applications. He recounted a personal experience where he received a message from a former deputy chief minister asking for RM3,000. Upon contacting the individual and his family, it was confirmed that the WhatsApp account had been hacked by a scammer. Fahmi warned that scam activities are expected to increase, especially during festive seasons.

He urged the public to contact the NSRC's 997 hotline if they make any suspicious transactions, enabling swift action to prevent further financial loss.

In another development, 300 recipients from the asnaf group in Lembah Pantai each received a cash contribution of RM200 and a souvenir through the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) fund. Fahmi also announced a new initiative, in collaboration with the Lembah Pantai parliamentary constituency and Pertubuhan Amal Uncle Kentang Malaysia, to launch the "RM1 for Ambulance Assistance" initiative. This initiative aims to provide 10 ambulances for use by the local community.