PDPA amendment Bill tabled for first reading

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KUALA LUMPUR: Amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) 2010 aiming to improve provisions on the processing of personal data have been tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat.

The amendment Bill was tabled by Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo on Wednesday (July 10).

The Bill is expected to be tabled for its second reading during the current meeting of the Dewan Rakyat.

Under the amendments, each organisation that deals with data will have to appoint a data protection officer responsible for reporting any data breaches as soon as possible.

The PDP commissioner should be notified of this appointment.

A data officer who fails to report such incidents could face a fine of up to RM250,000 or a prison term of not more than two years, or both, if convicted.

The amendments will also see the creation of a new section 43A on rights to portability, which allows an individual to request the data controller to transfer personal data to the data officer of their choice.

Stiffer penalties have also been proposed through an amendment under Section 5. The fine has been raised from RM300,000 to RM1mil while the jail term has been increased from a maximum of two years to three years.

In a press conference after the tabling of the amendments, Gobind said the government views the issue of data breaches and leaks seriously.

Last year, the PDP commissioner received 779 complaints of data breaches and abuses.

Up to June this year, 288 complaints were received.

“This amendment is intended to ensure that no data will be used without the consent of the data owner and to prevent the misuse of data while using existing digital platforms as well as those that will be created in the future, in line with the latest developments,” he said.