JPJ, digital ministry to discuss legal framework for autonomous, driverless vehicles in Malaysia

JPJ, digital ministry to discuss legal framework for autonomous, driverless vehicles in Malaysia

The digital ministry has started discussions with the road transport department (JPJ) to develop a legal framework for autonomous vehicles in Malaysia, according to digital minister Gobind Singh Deo, reported Bernama.

The transition towards adopting autonomous vehicles requires early preparation across multiple areas including safety standards, digital infrastructure and data protection, said the minister.

“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,” Gobind said.

JPJ, digital ministry to discuss legal framework for autonomous, driverless vehicles in Malaysia

In March, the transport ministry has gazetted the latest amendments to the Motor Vehicle (Construction and Use) Rules under the Transport Act 1987, in order to ensure that national legislation is aligned with advances in technology and supports innovation in the nation’s automotive sector.

The amendments were made in 2024 to incorporate technical regulations related to the construction and use of autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles and energy-efficient vehicles, said deputy transport minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah.

In September last year, transport minister Anthony Loke stated that the Malaysian government is considering amending laws to support the digitalisation and development of autonomous vehicles. Loke said at the time that the ministry of transport is prepared to facilitate the development of autonomous vehicles in terms of legislation.

The transport minister said last September that the matter of legislative amendments to support digitalisation and development of autonomous vehicles in Malaysia needs to be examined through examples from other countries which already have a legal framework in place.

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Mick Chan

Open roads and closed circuits hold great allure for Mick Chan. Driving heaven to him is exercising a playful chassis on twisty paths; prizes ergonomics and involvement over gadgetry. Spent three years at a motoring newspaper and short stint with a magazine prior to joining this website.

 

Comments

  • Mo Pa-ish on Sep 08, 2025 at 7:22 pm

    Forsee Hourly accidents report on mat rempits crashed onto Autonomous bus KEK

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    • Anything driverless is not safe yet, look at the frequent accident cases in USA. In the States, heavy multi billion $$$ penalties make sure these companies systems actually perform. In Msia penalties are so cheap that they see no need to learn any lessons, unless we go with Kelantan style that would make Elon Musk lose his hands if Autopilot killed anybody.

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  • Jom Global on Sep 08, 2025 at 8:07 pm

    We must win this autonomous race!

    The high-stakes nature of this competition pushes governments to balance rapid innovation with ensuring safety, equity, and public trust. The ultimate victor will not only have a dominant tech sector but will also secure the long-term economic benefits of a transformed transportation landscape

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  • i know we dowan to get behind in future tech. but can we solve basic necessities first ? like better road n first n last mile connectivity

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  • Santok Singh on Sep 09, 2025 at 9:00 am

    autonomous vehicles are going to have a very hard time in malaysia due to our cilok cilok culture, especially those kapcai motorbikes

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  • newme on Sep 09, 2025 at 9:10 am

    Why not full autonomy to repair potholes first?

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  • Wil son on Sep 09, 2025 at 1:58 pm

    It’s going to be hard for any autonomous vehicle’s AI to handle (1) mat rempits, (2) aggressive/speeding, (3) potholes and poor road conditions and (4) terrible road designs that are not supposed to exist on the planet.

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