Digital minister Gobind Singh Deo said a strong and comprehensive legal framework is essential to regulate AI-generated content, safeguard information integrity and ensure the continued security of the country’s digital ecosystem.
“Among the key elements of this bill is the emphasis on accountability, which involves establishing clear responsibilities for entities that develop or deploy AI systems.
“Technology providers will be required to implement proactive risk management measures and take appropriate preventive steps to avoid harm to the public,” he said when winding up the debate on the royal address on behalf of the ministry at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Gobind said enforcement action could be taken under the proposed law in cases of negligence where AI systems are misused for fraudulent purposes or pose threats to national security.
He said the bill would also introduce a mechanism for reporting AI-related incidents, particularly to counter the growing sophistication of deepfake threats.
“This mechanism is important as it allows the government to identify threat patterns more quickly and systematically.
“With clearer and more organised information, mitigation and preventive actions can be implemented immediately before the threat escalates,” he said.
Gobind said the government is also drafting a new Cyber Crime Bill to replace the Computer Crimes Act 1997.
He said the proposed legislation would include specific provisions addressing the misuse of AI in cybercriminal activities, including digital identity theft and the creation of malicious deepfakes.
On data security, Gobind said CyberSecurity Malaysia is in the final stages of developing the National Digital Trust and Data Security Strategy 2026–2030, aimed at strengthening public confidence in the country’s digital ecosystem.
As a further proactive measure, he said the ministry is also detailing plans to establish a data commission as an independent regulatory body to safeguard national data sovereignty.
He said the development of local digital forensic capabilities, in collaboration with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, is also under way and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.