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PUTRAJAYA - The Digital Ministry, through the National AI Office (NAIO), has begun a series of engagement sessions this month to refine details of the proposed Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Bill.
The Digital Ministry said in a statement that the initiative was part of the government’s efforts to introduce and enhance understanding of the governance framework that would serve as the foundation for the proposed bill.
"The engagement sessions aim to enhance understanding of the AI governance framework, promote constructive dialogue and gather views and feedback from government agencies, industry players, business sectors, academia and the public,” the ministry said.
The ministry added that the initiative reflected the government’s commitment to formulating a balanced, practical and future-ready AI governance framework.
"This step is important in supporting the development of a safe, responsible and trustworthy technology ecosystem for the advancement and adoption of AI in Malaysia,” the statement said.
Based on international benchmarks, technical studies and preliminary stakeholder engagements, the Ministry said the engagement sessions marked the next phase in the policy formulation process.
"This process is crucial to ensure that the proposed bill takes into account diverse views, the latest technological developments and implementation requirements across various sectors,” the statement said.
The Digital Ministry said the Bill would be Malaysia’s first horizontal legal framework dedicated specifically to AI governance.
"It will provide a common set of principles that complement existing laws, while supporting the development of a holistic AI ecosystem across various sectors,” the statement said.
The statement also said that the framework would adopt a risk-based approach by taking into account AI-related risks that could emerge at any stage of the system lifecycle.
"Therefore, governance responsibilities will be distributed according to the roles and levels of control of the parties involved. In addition, preventive measures such as incident reporting mechanisms, appropriate safeguards and the establishment of AI sandboxes are encouraged to support safe innovation and strengthen public confidence,” it said.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, during the Special Chamber session in the Dewan Rakyat on June 24, said the proposed law would not directly regulate AI outputs.
"Instead, matters related to unlawful content will continue to be addressed under existing laws and regulatory frameworks,” the statement said.
Following the engagement sessions, the Digital Ministry will conduct a public consultation exercise through the Unified Public Consultation (UPC) Portal, which will be accessible at https://upc.mpc.gov.my from July 10, 2026.
"This step aims to provide an opportunity for the public, business sectors and organisations to submit their views before the bill is finalised. The Digital Ministry remains committed to developing the bill through a transparent, inclusive and consultative process,” the statement said.
Through continued engagement with stakeholders and the community, the MADANI Government remains committed to developing a governance framework that reflects diverse views, provides regulatory clarity and safeguards the public interest.
"This is important to support responsible innovation, while strengthening Malaysia’s position as a trusted and globally competitive AI hub in line with the AI Nation 2030 roadmap,” the statement said. - BERNAMA
