The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has stepped up the national cyber defence and security system to check the Ransomware Wannacry cyber attacks that hit the world last Friday, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak.

He said MCMC had not received any official report on the cyber virus attacks in the country although there had been some media reports on these.

"Right now, we have yet to receive any report of the threat but we have been informed through the media that there have been 10 reports of such attacks in the country," he said to reporters after attending 'An Evening with Artistes' organised by the Inland Revenue Board in cooperation with the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas).

The National Security Council had detected the Ransomware Wannacry cyber attack threat around the world. The virus prevents access to data in the computer that it attacks.

CyberSecurity Malaysia CEO Amirudin Abdul Wahab confirmed that only an official report was received on the attack so far, but the agency believed that there had been many cases which were not reported to it.

Earlier, in his speech, Salleh asked LHDN, Finas and the associations of artistes and celebrities to work together to assist the artistes on tax-related issues.

He said this was to enable the artistes to get an explanation and information on taxation to avert problems such as not paying tax.

"There has to be an understanding. Not many know that there is a difference in the entertainment industry. Some artistes do not have a permanent income, some use their income for welfare, some use the income to buy clothes and such.

"I think there must be a solution, not too rigid, but with flexibility. Dialogues such as this are good in resolving problems," he said.

Salleh suggested that artistes be given flexibility on payment of tax based on the fact that they did not have a permanent income.

- Bernama