Malaysia's AI Governance Bill to Reach Parliament by End of Year, Minister Says

Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo announced that the draft Artificial Intelligence Governance Bill has been finalized following a series of workshops and stakeholder engagement sessions. The paper is currently being prepared for Cabinet submission, with the goal of tabling it in Parliament within this quarter or, failing that, in the first quarter of next year. He outlined the government's three-pronged framework for AI oversight—starting with standards, moving to regulations, and finally legislation—and noted that many standard-related issues are already being addressed through the MY-AI Standards initiative in partnership with SIRIM Berhad.

The minister also said that certain AI matters will be regulated without needing full legislation to allow quicker responses. Concurrently, the establishment of an enforcement entity called AI Malaysia is progressing to ensure compliance once the law passes. The comments were made at the opening of the two-month “Scars of War” international photography and art exhibition at the Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery in George Town, which features works by Alison Locke, Cory Wright, Giovanni Diffidenti, Werner Anderson and Prof Lin Xiang Xiong.