KUALA LUMPUR: Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo has revealed that there has been a significant increase in violations of personal data regulations this year compared to last year.
He said the Personal Data Protection (PDP) commissioner's office reported a rise from 27 to 38 notifications of data breaches this year, marking a 41 per cent increase.
He said last year, the office received a total of 779 complaints regarding misuse and breaches of personal data.
In contrast, he added, the first half of this year alone saw 288 complaints lodged.
"Despite ongoing enforcement efforts, these statistics remain concerning," said Gobind, noting a slight increase in complaints received between October 2023 and March 2024.
During this period, the office received 322 complaints, with 165 lodged in the first quarter of 2024.
He said the proposed amendments tabled in Dewan Rakyat today demonstrate the government's seriousness in addressing personal data leakage.
Earlier, the amendment to the PDP Act 2010, aimed at aligning with international standards, was tabled for the first reading in Dewan Rakyat by Gobind, with a second reading to follow in the same session.
The Act will see an amendment to Section 129 to allow data controllers to transfer personal data outside Malaysia if the destination has laws substantially similar to the Act.
A new proposed section 12a will require a data controller to appoint one or more data protection officers while a proposed new section 12b will also be included to provide for the procedure relating to data breach notification.
The bill also proposes amending Section 21 of the Act to enable the commissioner to designate not only a body but also a data controller as a data controller forum in respect of a specific class of data controllers.
It also sought to introduce a new section into the Act to provide for the rights of a data subject to data portability subject to technical feasibility and compatibility of the data format.
