Malaysia ramps up regulations on AI tech

PETALING JAYA – Malaysia is aggressively strengthening its regulatory frameworks and building dedicated enforcement agencies to stay ahead of rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), including the rise of smart glasses, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said.

Speaking on the challenges of emerging tech, he emphasised that the government is approaching the issue from a proactive, structured standpoint rather than reacting on a case-by-case basis.

“When we build the regulatory frameworks, we build it in anticipation of new technology. We cannot be operating the other way around, where technology comes in and we decide what we do for the purposes of being safe,” Gobind told The Star.

His remarks are in response to the rising global and local anxieties surrounding smart glasses, particularly those that are fitted with AI capabilities.

Some of the things people are worried about include data privacy, structural cyber security and the potential for someone to record individuals or upload content without their explicit consent.

Addressing specific concerns like public harassment and unauthorised recording, Gobind clarified that such acts are strictly illegal.

“If it is a criminal offence, then action will be taken under the Penal Code. If it’s an offence that comes under the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (Act 709), then action will be taken under that particular act,” he explained.

Additionally, he said a multi-agency shield involving the Personal Data Protection Commissioner (PDPC) and the data unit of the National Digital Department (JDN) that’s currently managing tech risks through personal data protection, is tasked with monitoring how data from new devices is stored, used and protected against abuse.

As for cyber security, Gobind said the National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) enforces safety benchmarks and oversees the implementation of the Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854).

While acknowledging that Malaysia’s legal framework must evolve to fully cope with the demands of the digital era, he announced that concrete legislative steps are already underway.

“A dedicated body, AI Malaysia Berhad, is actively focusing on ­long-term AI governance. A draft for new AI legislation (Artificial Intelligence Governance Bill) has already been prepared and is currently undergoing a ­feedback-gathering process,” he said.

Gobind said the draft will be presented to the Cabinet soon, targeting a parliamentary rollout early next year.

Ultimately, he said that having robust laws is only half the battle as the government’s current priority lies in establishing competent oversight bodies capable of monitoring tech compliance and executing swift enforcement when breaches occur.

As technology advances, he said these agencies will be expected to learn from real-world enforcement experiences to continuously recommend new, stronger legislative updates to the government.