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The upcoming Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Bill, currently being drafted, will significantly strengthen prevention and accountability measures within the nation's fast-growing technology sector
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said at the Dewan Rakyat today that the new legislation will apply comprehensively throughout the entire lifecycle of AI technology.
This legal framework ensures that all parties involved in developing, providing, utilising, or operating AI systems adopt reasonable governance measures that are directly proportionate to the specific risk levels of those systems, according to the New Straits Times.
Responding to a question by Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang), Gobind explained that the government is employing a robust, two-tiered regulatory approach to manage the technology safely
The first tier focuses on the immediate enforcement of existing laws to prosecute individuals who abuse or manipulate digital content. The second tier introduces the AI Governance Bill, which establishes clear, legally binding responsibilities at the foundational stages of software creation and deployment.
This multi-layered approach allows the government to address the unique challenges of high-capability technologies, such as deepfakes, synthetic content, and identity theft, by implementing early preventative blocks rather than merely reacting after damage has occurred.
If unlawful activities or malicious fabrications take place, enforcement agencies will execute swift punitive actions under current statutory boundaries. The minister noted that this layered policy ensures that innovation and risk control are perfectly counterbalanced, allowing the new bill and existing legislation to complement one another seamlessly.
The government remains deeply committed to fostering an ecosystem where AI development in Malaysia is conducted in a safe, ethical, and highly responsible manner
This proactive legislative shift is critical to capturing the immense socio-economic benefits of automation without compromising public safety or undermining national security interests.
Ultimately, the comprehensive legal protections are designed to vigorously defend individual dignity, protect the rights of victims of digital crimes, and establish a secure online environment for vulnerable groups, particularly children.
