Govt mulling laws to tackle AI legal challenges - Azalina

The government will examine the need for specific laws on artificial intelligence (AI) in light of emerging legal challenges.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said said the current legal system needs to be upgraded, as AI-related laws require different approaches, including burden of proof, authenticity, and document integrity.

“Right now, whatever you say, every document is online, and because it’s online, you can fabricate any content,” she told a press conference after launching the Malaysia National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAPBHR) 2025-2030 at the Asian International Arbitration Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.

She said courts must be confident in accepting AI-based evidence, as the technology can produce visuals or audio resembling individuals, but do not exist in reality, adding that the matter requires serious consideration to protect the public from fraud or manipulation.

Commenting on the progress of the Political Funding Bill, she said it is still in process and subject to the agreement of political parties.

“We have three Parliament sessions in a year… it (bill) is still in process,” she said.

Meanwhile, Azalina stressed that it is illegal for employers to hold onto their migrant workers’ passports.

“You have to be fair to your workers and return the passport,” she said, emphasising that Malaysia respects the human rights of all workers, including migrant labour from Asean countries, and must not act aggressively or unlawfully against them.

Earlier in her keynote address, Azalina said the launch of the NAPBHR 2025-2030 marked Malaysia's first national framework to integrate human rights into business and corporate governance.

She said the plan reflected Malaysia’s commitment to the United Nations guiding principles as the country assumes the Asean chairmanship.

“The success of this plan demands more than government effort; it requires shared ownership,” she said.

The NAPBHR focuses on labour, environment and governance, and was developed through consultations since 2019 with ministries, agencies, civil society, business leaders, Indigenous communities, unions, and academics.

- Bernama

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