The government is in the final phase of drafting Malaysia’s first AI Governance Bill, a sweeping legislative framework aimed at addressing artificial intelligence risks in a comprehensive and responsible manner, says Gobind Singh Deo.
The Digital Minister said the proposed law developed through the National Artificial Intelligence Office (Naio) will adopt a risk-based regulatory model, covering areas such as AI-related harm, incident reporting and ethical principles to guide safe deployment across all sectors.
“The AI Governance Bill is being formulated to address risks in a holistic manner and to establish responsible governance practices for AI use nationwide,” he said yesterday.
Together with the new legislation, he said the government is also strengthening existing laws, including amendments to the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), to ensure accountability in automated decision-making and profiling.
The Cybersecurity Act 2024 and Online Safety Act 2024 will further protect digital infrastructure and curb harmful content online, he added.
According to Gobind, the National Cyber Security Agency is refining a new Cybercrime Bill, which will replace the Computer Crimes Act 1997 and cover offences linked to emerging technologies, including deepfakes.
On the technical front, he said CyberSecurity Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia are developing a national AI-based verification system to authenticate images and videos, a tool that is expected to aid cybercrime investigations once completed in late 2026.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), he said, is working with major social media platforms to detect and remove harmful deepfakes involving race, religion and the monarchy.
He added that the MCMC is also studying the need for labelling requirements for AI-generated content, including videos.
Gobind said the ministry’s combined legislative, technical and educational initiatives are designed to build an AI ecosystem that is “innovative but secure”, aligning Malaysia with international best practices while ensuring public safety and trust.
