Malaysia Plans Its First AI Law as Global Scrutiny Intensifies - Bloomberg

Malaysia's government is drafting a national artificial intelligence law and plans to introduce it in early 2027, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said in parliament on Monday. He said the legislation would take a "risk-based approach." According to a Bloomberg report, the law would be Malaysia's first dedicated statute governing artificial intelligence. The minister also said the government is working on mechanisms to enforce rules governing the technology. No draft text or consultation timetable was described in the report.

Bloomberg published the report under the headline that Malaysia plans its first AI law as global scrutiny intensifies. The report attributes the drafting effort, the risk-based framing and the enforcement work to the government, and gives early 2027 as the intended date of introduction. The excerpt does not specify the bill's provisions, the agency that would administer it, the penalties it might carry, which systems it would cover, or how the enforcement mechanisms would operate. It also does not state whether the drafting process has been opened to public consultation.

The announcement places the plan on the public record through the minister responsible for digital policy, in the country's parliament. Bloomberg frames the plan against a background of intensifying international scrutiny of artificial intelligence. Malaysia's stated intent is a dedicated AI law taking effect from early 2027, built on a risk-based approach with enforcement mechanisms still in development at the time of the announcement.