KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo today said Malaysia is in the final stages of finalising the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan, which aims to establish a clear governance framework while balancing security and privacy concerns.
He said the plan is built on three core principles which are ensuring AI accountability and transparency, embedding privacy and security from the design stage, and maintaining human oversight to prevent errors.
“The first is transparency and accountability, ensuring that all AI models are auditable and clearly identify who is responsible in cases of misuse or breaches,” he told the Dewan Rakyat here.
“The second principle is privacy and security-by-design, mandating that personal data protection and system security are embedded from the algorithm and system design stage, rather than being added as an afterthought.
“The third is human-in-the-loop control, recognising that AI cannot yet operate autonomously, and human oversight is necessary to prevent critical errors, discrimination, and bias,” he added,
Gobind was responding to a question from Sri Aman MP Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Anak Brodi who asked about how Malaysia ensures AI in cybersecurity adheres to ethical and privacy principles while balancing security and individual freedom.
He also said the plan is developed collaboratively, considering existing and ongoing government initiatives, including the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (Act 709) and the Cybersecurity Act 2024 (Act 854).
Addressing Doris Sophia’s supplementary question on control mechanisms or “kill switch” measures for cybersecurity AI, Gobind said Malaysia is preparing for emerging technological challenges by establishing structures to identify and mitigate risks.
He said the government is establishing structures to identify and address emerging AI risks, monitor technological developments, enforce existing laws through the National AI Office and Data Committee, and implement the Digital Trust and Data Safety Strategy planned for 2026–2030.
