New e-commerce law will assure accountability, says minister

Federal Minister Armizan Mohd Ali announced that a new e-commerce law is being drafted to replace the outdated Electronic Commerce Act, aiming to improve regulation and accountability on the digital marketplace, according to a report from <source 39f88499-f11>. The minister highlighted that the existing legislation does not provide comprehensive legal responsibilities for platforms, sellers, and e-commerce users.

Ali emphasized that the current law merely serves as a validation framework for online and electronic commerce, lacking clarity on accountability. He further revealed that the ministry responsible for e-commerce does not possess the necessary authority or a comprehensive legal framework to regulate all aspects of e-commerce effectively.

The Cabinet memorandum for the new law was submitted two months ago, and the ministry has been collaborating with several other governmental bodies, including the Attorney-General's Chambers, the Communications Ministry, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, and the Digital Ministry, to draft the new legislation.

The bill is set to be presented during the upcoming parliamentary session, as stated by Minister Ali. Additionally, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim indicated that the government is accelerating the drafting process to ensure the new e-commerce law keeps pace with the swift expansion of digital businesses in the country.