Malaysia is taking steps toward drafting dedicated legislation to govern artificial intelligence (AI), as the country grapples with the legal complexities posed by emerging technologies, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
Speaking at the launch of the National Legal Academy, Azalina revealed that she has formally proposed a meeting between the Legal Affairs Division and the Digital Ministry to initiate discussions on formulating AI-specific laws.
“I have written to Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo about looking into more AI-specific laws for our country,” she said, noting that AI operates on a fundamentally different platform than traditional technologies, making current legal frameworks inadequate.
Azalina referenced the European Union’s AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI regulation, as a model Malaysia could study, particularly in defining AI risk categories, responsibilities and legal safeguards.
She also underscored ongoing efforts to digitalise the judicial system, including implementing voice-to-text systems and expanding digital document filings.
“We want these improvements not only in Putrajaya but across all courts, especially at the district level,” she said.
