Liu Tai-ting (L), a suspect from Taiwan involved in a telecom fraud in Kenya, is interrogated by police in Beijing on April 17, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]

Two political parties in Taiwan have denounced telecom fraud and called for the suspects to be brought to justice.

It follows the release on Saturday by Taiwan police of 20 fraud suspects deported from Malaysia on Friday. The police said there was a lack of evidence to detain them. They were among 52 people from Taiwan, arrested in Malaysia for suspected telecommunication fraud.

The arrests came after a joint investigation by Malaysian and Chinese mainland police into five transnational telecommunication fraud cases involving victims on the mainland.

Police arrested a total of 119 suspects, including 65 from the mainland, 52 from Taiwan and two from Malaysia.

The Kuomintang (KMT) said the party was concerned about the harm caused to victims and the negative impact the fraudsters' actions have had on the image of the island.

The party called for a joint denouncement of the criminals and called for justice to be served.

Hung Hsiu-chu, the newly-elected chair of the KMT, also warned that Taiwan should avoid becoming known as an "exporter of fraud rings."

Taiwan's New Party said the prevalence of fraud rings in Taiwan have harmed many innocent people across the Straits, adding the general public in Taiwan were outraged by the light punishment.

A Chinese mainland spokesperson has urged Taiwan to give fraud suspects "the punishment they deserve," stressing that their release will only make fraud more rampant and harm cross-Strait law enforcement cooperation.