Supportive legal framework needed for new tech
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo speaks at the ASEAN-GCC Economic forum 2025 at Mandarin Oriental hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, —AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star.
KUALA LUMPUR: Having a supportive legislative framework in place is essential towards building an ecosystem that can accommodate new and advanced technologies, says Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo (pic).
Apart from ensuring adequate technological infrastructure, he said there is a need to review legislations that may potentially pose challenges in implementing new technological solutions.
Gobind said there is currently a unit in the National Artificial Intelligence Office (NAIO) looking into such matters and discussions on which laws may require amendments are already being held with various stakeholders.
'We have to be prepared to face these problems and deal with them when necessary, so we can build an ecosystem not just in terms of infrastructure but also a ready legislative framework that lets us move ahead,' he told reporters after the Asean-GCC Economic Forum.
Citing the example of autonomous vehicle networks, Gobind said that in Malaysia, any vehicle on the road must have a licensed driver behind the wheel so as to adhere to legal requirements.
'When we talk about autonomous vehicle networks, we are looking at how cars can move on their own.
'We have also already seen autonomous buses in Putrajaya. The question is how we can prepare the legal framework for this,' he added.
It was reported last year that an autonomous electric bus service trial will be rolled out in Putrajaya.
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