Malaysia's main state institutions began a series of meetings to assess the country's exposure to cyber and geopolitical threats, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told parliament, CNBC Indonesia reports.
The meetings follow advisories from the European Union, Canada and Japan telling citizens to stockpile food after cyber attacks hit digital infrastructure across Europe and the wider West, including government administrative systems. According to Newsweek, 33 countries have now asked their populations to keep reserves of food, water and medicine in case of war, extreme weather or cyber security incidents. The recommended preparation periods range from three days to 10 days.
Anwar said the Chief Secretary to the Government and the governor of the central bank would hold separate sessions with government departments and financial institutions to gauge the risks.
The prime minister said Malaysia was tracking other developments, among them tensions in the Middle East, the situation in Yemen and the Red Sea, and security threats in Europe. He said these events showed that crises abroad could affect the safety of Malaysians, economic stability and the national interest.
According to Anwar, the National Security Council met on November 2 to discuss coordination between ministries, agencies and security forces so the country could prepare for any contingency. He described the meeting as part of an effort to raise readiness against threats from both inside and outside Malaysia.
Anwar also referred to certain foreign intelligence agencies, including Israeli ones, operating in neighbouring countries. He cited Israeli groups or entities in Phuket and southern Thailand and said Malaysian intelligence regarded their presence as a potential threat to the country.
He said Malaysia was seen as a target because its digital capabilities and data centres rank among the strongest and can compete with Europe's. Some countries also view Malaysia's positions on Palestine and Gaza as controversial, he added.
Anwar said the director general of the National Security Council would give all members of parliament a special closed-door briefing within one to two days.
The countries that have issued preparedness advice include the UK, France, Germany, Poland, the US, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Singapore, the Philippines, India and Australia.
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