MALAYSIA is set to take centre stage in shaping the future of digital regulation as the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) hosts the International Regulatory Conference (IRC) 2026 on July 21 and 22 at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur.
Held under the theme “Shaping the Next Digital Era: Regulation, Resilience and Trust”, IRC 2026 will bring together regulators, policymakers, industry leaders, academics and digital experts from Malaysia and abroad.
Building on its inaugural edition launched in 2024, the conference is aligned with the nation’s continued push to position itself as a convenor of international regulatory dialogue in the communications and multimedia sector.
IRC 2026 will be officiated by Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil, signifying the government’s commitment to building a digital ecosystem that is both innovative and trustworthy.
Platform for pressing conversations
As artificial intelligence (AI), online platforms and cross-border digital services continue to reshape how people live and work, regulators across regions face a similar balancing act: how to encourage innovation while protecting consumers, safeguarding data and maintaining online safety.
IRC 2026 is designed to be a space where these tensions can be worked through collectively rather than in silos.
Discussions around the two-day conference will span AI governance, digital trust, online safety, cybersecurity, data governance and other emerging technology issues, reflecting just how wide the regulatory conversation has become in recent years.
For MCMC, the event is also an opportunity to deepen collaboration between governments, regulators, industry players and academia, groups that don’t always find themselves at the same table.
IRC 2026 will feature a distinguished panel of speakers, including commission member Derek John Fernandez, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia child commissioner Dr Farah Nini Dusuki, Unicef children commissioner chief Saskia Blume, Tune Talk founder Gurtaj Singh Padda, Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia Danielle Heinecke and Ericsson security head Dr Connie McIntosh, to name a few.
Day one: Setting the terms
On the first day, the conference begins with the exploration of emerging technological landscapes, focusing on “Digital Horizons: Safeguarding, Empowering and Thriving in the Connected Age”.
This will dive into how institutions, businesses and individuals can secure assets, elevate capabilities and achieve sustainable growth in an increasingly integrated world.
It opens with Act I, “The Digital Social Contract: Why regulation and trust matter”, which frames the two days ahead.
Sessions here will look at online safety by design – how protections can be built into digital platforms from the ground up, rather than added on as an afterthought – and what it means for citizens to remain in control of their own data in an interconnected world.
A further session, “Regulatory Aspiration vs Economic Reality”, will also turn the conversation toward a familiar dilemma for regulators: crafting rules that are ambitious enough to matter, yet workable enough to survive contact with real markets and economies.
Meanwhile, Act II shifts the focus to “The Next Technological Wave: The proliferation of artificial intelligence and the humanities”, delving into how the two are intersecting as a dynamic partnership.
Rather than treating AI purely as a technical or economic force, this discussion positions it alongside questions of culture, ethics and what it means to be human in a world where machines are increasingly shaping decisions once made by people.
Day two: From emerging tech to human impact
The second day opens with discussions on “Innovation, Sustainability and Future-Ready Regulation”.
Here, sessions will cover topics such as quantum technology and communication, alongside a discussion on regulating the robotics revolution – both signalling that MCMC’s regulatory lens is already looking past today’s challenges toward the technologies that will define the next decade.
Act III, “The Human Consequences: Technology’s impact on autonomy, wellbeing and society”, brings the conversation back to people.
Its session on digital dependency and human autonomy examines how constant connectivity affects wellbeing, attention and agency.
This serves as a reminder that regulation is not only about markets and infrastructure, but about everyday experiences of being online.
The conference closes with Act IV, “Building Resilient Digital Futures: Collaboration, innovation and capability-building”, which looks outward and forward, shaping perspectives for the digital future.
Sessions on regional and global regulatory collaboration will explore how countries can work together on shared digital challenges, while another session on progressive talent, digital skills and the future workplace will consider what capabilities Malaysia – and the wider region – will need to build to stay competitive in a fast-changing digital economy.
Growing regulatory voice
Hosting IRC 2026 reflects MCMC’s broader ambition to establish Malaysia not just as a participant in global digital policy conversations, but as one of the countries helping to shape them.
As the national regulator for the communications and multimedia industry, MCMC has increasingly positioned the conference as a recurring platform for thought leadership on regulatory frameworks, bringing global perspectives into a Malaysian setting while giving local voices a seat in international discussions.
The four-act structure of this year’s programme – moving from foundational questions of trust, through emerging technologies, to human impact and finally collaborative solutions – reflects an attempt to treat regulation as more than a technical exercise.
It’s framed instead as an ongoing conversation between innovation, resilience and the people these policies are ultimately meant to serve.
Why it matters
For business leaders, technology professionals, policymakers and academics alike, IRC 2026 offer a rare opportunity to hear directly from those shaping digital policy, both in Malaysia and internationally.
As AI, quantum computing and robotics move from theoretical discussions to practical deployment, the frameworks built today will determine how these technologies are governed for years to come.
With its focus on regulation, resilience and trust, IRC 2026 positions the nation as an active participant in a conversation that stretches well beyond its own borders – one where the country hopes to help set the terms, rather than simply responding to them.
For more information, visit
mcmc.gov.my/irc2026.
