THE Digital Ministry is drafting an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Bill, which is expected to be tabled in Parliament this year, to address increasingly complex technological threats, including the misuse of deepfake technology.
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 during the winding-up session of the debate on the royal address on behalf of the ministry at the Dewan Rakyat today.
According to reports in Bernama, Gobind Singh 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 added that the Bill would also introduce a mechanism for reporting AI-related incidents and harm, 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 and causes wider impact,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gobind Singh 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 deepfake content.
On data security, Gobind Singh 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 added that the development of local digital forensic capabilities, in collaboration with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), is also underway and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. – February 9, 2026
