CYBERJAYA: 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.
Minister Gobind Singh Deo stated that transitioning towards autonomous vehicle adoption 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,“ he said after launching Malaysia’s first Vehicle Forensics Laboratory.
Gobind noted that autonomous vehicle technology is fast becoming a reality, requiring proactive steps to ensure Malaysia is ready both legally and infrastructurally.
“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 added.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke had also stated last September that the ministry was studying a framework for new legislation to regulate 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). – Bernama
