PDPA Act to be amended at next Dewan Rakyat sitting, says Annuar

KUALA LUMPUR: Amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (Act 709) are expected to be tabled in the next Dewan Rakyat sitting, which will commence in October.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the draft of the proposed amendments had been submitted to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) in June.

Once approved by the AGC, a memorandum will be tabled to the Cabinet, he said.

The proposed amendments include the compulsory appointment of a data protection officer, introducing data breach notification which will require data breaches to be reported to the Personal Data Protection Commission within 72 hours and the requirement for data processors to comply with the safety principles under Act 709.

“The proposed amendments will create a strong and dynamic data policy,” he said during Ministers' Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Aug 4).

Annuar was responding to a question by Shaharizukirnain Abd. Kadir (PN-Setiu) on the Ministry's plan to amend several clauses in the Personal Data Protection Act in fighting against cybercrimes that had caused nearly 100 million cases of personal data breach.

Annuar said there have been leakages involving more than 120 million units of personal data.

He also noted that the Act only covers data for commercial transactions.

“Data in government departments or the ministry is not covered or stipulated by this Act,” he said.

Annuar said this in response to Shaharizukirnain’s supplementary question on the action taken against perpetrators of data breaches, and what were the efforts taken by the ministry to curb the issue of data breaches.