A DEDICATED Artificial Intelligence (AI) Bill will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat after all discussions at the ministry, agency and Cabinet levels have been completed, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said.
Fahmi said the government's experience in formulating the Online Safety Act 2025 through extensive stakeholder engagement would serve as a foundation for developing a similar approach in establishing a legal framework to regulate emerging technologies, including AI.
"For example, our previous experience in discussions enabled the government, through several committees, to draft and subsequently table the Online Safety Act in the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara.
"That was the result of many discussions, including forums and engagement sessions. Therefore, we believe the same approach can be applied to new technologies such as AI," he said.
Fahmi was speaking to reporters after officiating the International Regulatory Conference (IRC) 2026. Also present was Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.
Previously, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo told the Dewan Rakyat that the AI Governance Bill being drafted would strengthen prevention measures and accountability within the AI sector.
He said the legislation would apply throughout the AI lifecycle, ensuring that parties developing, providing, using or operating AI systems adopt reasonable governance measures appropriate to the level of risk involved.
Fahmi said the introduction of the Bill was necessary as AI technology continued to advance rapidly, bringing both significant benefits and potential risks to society.
However, he stressed that the government's regulatory approach was not intended to restrict innovation or discourage technology investments, but to ensure AI development took place responsibly.
"We do not want to send a signal that we do not want technology or investment. We want technology and investment that not only bring benefits but also prevent harm," he said.
Pending the introduction of specific AI legislation, Fahmi said regulatory bodies, including the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), would continue taking action under existing laws.
He cited MCMC's recent action against platform X after its AI tool Grok was found capable of generating inappropriate images that could be misused by users.
"MCMC contacted X so that several control features or guardrails could be put in place, and that has already been implemented," he said.
Fahmi added that the government was also studying regulatory approaches adopted by other countries, although not all measures would be adopted as they needed to be adapted to Malaysia's local requirements.
On concerns over the misuse of AI to manipulate individuals' images without consent, he said victims could lodge reports with the relevant platforms or MCMC for further action.
He added that if complaints increased significantly, the government had several mechanisms available, similar to measures previously taken against AI-related technology misuse. - July 21, 2026
