Personal data protection in Malaysia

01-04-2014

J. Shamesh

Personal data protection in Malaysia

The Personal Data Protection Act has been enacted to regulate the processing of personal data in commercial transactions, with consent and security two of the act’s main principles. J. Shamesh reports.

The long wait is finally over. The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) in Malaysia, which was introduced in 2010, came into force on November 15, 2013, and data users were given until February 15 this year to notify the PDP commissioner of the details of any personal data they hold. The act is Malaysia’s first specific legislation relating to personal data and reflects a commitment made by the government to put in place a suitable and enforceable legal framework to protect the interests of consumers and the public at large.

The PDPA was enacted to regulate the processing of personal data in commercial transactions. These include any transactions that are commercial in nature and it does not matter whether the transaction is contractual or not. However, companies or corporations registered under the Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010 are excluded from the PDPA.

Protection of privacy has been a global concern due to the rapid growth of information and communications technology.

US president Barack Obama, in his election campaign, said:


PDPA, privacy, data protection,

WIPR