CYBERJAYA, Sept 8 — The Ministry of Digital has initiated discussions with the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to develop a dedicated legal framework for autonomous or driverless vehicles in Malaysia, said its minister, Gobind Singh Deo.
He said that transitioning towards the adoption of autonomous vehicles requires early preparations across multiple areas, including safety standards, digital infrastructure, and data protection.
“We’ve already begun discussions with JPJ regarding what we refer to as the autonomous vehicle network. In other countries, we are already seeing driverless vehicles operating.
“In such scenarios, we need to consider how to develop a legal framework to ensure the ecosystem is appropriate, especially in terms of safety and data protection,” he said after launching Malaysia’s first Vehicle Forensics Laboratory here today.
Gobind noted that autonomous vehicle technology is fast becoming a reality, and Malaysia must take proactive steps to ensure the country is ready – legally and infrastructurally – to support its implementation.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke had also stated in September last year that the ministry was studying a framework for new legislation to regulate the operation of autonomous vehicles on public roads.
At present, there are no specific laws governing autonomous vehicles in Malaysia, including for systems such as the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART), Loke added. — Bernama
