A total of 435 investigation papers on sedition cases have been opened between 2010 and Oct 14 this year.

Royal Malaysian Police Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department director Rusdi Ahmad said of the total, 55 cases involved racism, religion (68), royal institution (60) and state administration (65).

"Eleven cases involved Sabah and Sarawak leaving Malaysia and the remaining 176 cases involved other categories," he said when delivering his keynote address at a forum at Universiti Malaya today.

He said the police took the dissemination of false information by some individuals through the social media, especially Facebook and WhatsApp, seriously.

"The false information will disrupt public order, threaten the security and jeopardise racial harmony," he said.

On cyber crime, Rusdi said a total of 5,785 cases were recorded from January to June this year with losses of RM119.7 million.

"In view of cyber threat, although it is not necessarily violent, it will bring bad implications in a very short time," he said.

- Bernama