In a statement today, he said these amendments were needed to ensure that Malaysia’s personal data protection legislation aligns with global standards, changes and legal developments.

“The proposed amendments to Act 709 aim to enhance policies, particularly in terms of security and enforcement, to address issues of personal data breaches and misuse in Malaysia,” he said.

Gobind said key proposals for amending Act 709 include the mandatory notification of personal data breaches, additional compliance responsibilities for data processors, and the appointment of data protection officers.

Other proposals include introducing the right to data portability for data subjects and abolishing the requirement to designate specific locations for the transfer of personal data outside of Malaysia.

“In drafting the proposed amendments to Act 709, the office of the personal data protection commissioner also considered input and views from various stakeholders through multiple engagement sessions,” he said.

He said statistics showed a 5.1% increase in the number of complaints received from October 2023 to March 2024.

During that period, 322 complaints were received regarding the misuse and breach of personal data.

“In the fourth quarter of 2023, 157 complaints were received, while 165 complaints were received in the first quarter of 2024.

“Specifically, the statistics for personal data breaches showed a significant increase of 41% in 2024 compared to 2023,” he said.

Gobind said according to numbers from the national scam response centre, 34,497 online fraud cases resulting in losses of RM1.218 billion were reported nationwide last year.

“Based on the 2023 statistics, telecommunications crime cases such as SMS contests, online impersonation, and phone call scams were among the highest recorded, with 10,348 cases involving losses of RM352.9 million,” he said.