Despite the rapid growth of cross-border trade, Malaysia currently lacks a legislative framework that specifically governs cross-border e-commerce transactions. This creates a regulatory blind spot, allowing foreign online marketplace operators and sellers to evade liability simply because they do not have a physical or legal presence in Malaysia. When harmful, defective, or illegal goods are sold into Malaysia, or when personal data is mishandled by foreign platforms, affected consumers often struggle to identify, locate, or take legal action against these entities due to the differing jurisdictions in which parties are located. This leaves consumers vulnerable and domestic laws unenforceable against offshore actors.
E-commerce has revolutionised the way businesses and consumers interact. However, while technology has changed the mode of doing business, the law continues to apply. The same principles that govern traditional commerce — from fair trading to product safety — extend to online transactions, though often with added complexity.
In mainland Southeast Asia, it is possible to move overland from the southern tip of Singapore all the way to northern Thailand, Cambodia, or Vietnam. This connectivity, however, brings in legal complexity when cross-border road accidents occur. The question of which country’s law applies, whether that of the accident location, the vehicle’s registration state, or both, remains a persistent challenge in the ASEAN region.
Malaysian arbitration law has historically featured a debate on the available routes for enforcing foreign arbitral awards, specifically, whether award creditors could opt for direct enforcement under the Malaysian Arbitration Act 2005 or were required to pursue enforcement under the Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments Act 1958 framework after converting the award into a judgment abroad.
In October 2023, the Asian International Arbitration Centre (‘AIAC’) introduced the Asian Sports Arbitration Rules 2023 (‘ASAR 2023’). In Malaysia, AIAC has emerged as a hub for sports arbitration when it introduced ASAR 2023, designing it for the unique requirements of the sports industry. AIAC aims to be an international hub for arbitration matters. This is also supported in our legislation Arbitration Act 2005 where it supports ADR and recognises both domestic and international arbitration.
On 30 July 2025, the Investment, Trade and Industry Minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz tabled the Countervailing and Anti-Dumping Duties (Amendment) Bill 2025 (‘the Bill’).
The Bill, containing 21 clauses in total, seeks to amend the Countervailing and Anti-Dumping Duties Act 1993 (Act 504) by enhancing the legal framework and improving enforcement effectiveness in preventing unfair trade practices to be aligned with the World Trade Organisation standards.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation adopted the National Guidelines on AI Governance and Ethics. The launch of which is a key step in supporting the Malaysian National Artificial Intelligence Roadmap 2021-2025.
AIGE reinforces Malaysia’s commitment to global AI ethics inspired by guidelines from UNESCO, OECD, and the EU, to ensure trusted and responsible AI development. Following this, AIGE set out seven core principles consisting of fairness, safety, privacy, inclusiveness, transparency, accountability, and the pursuit of human benefit.
The primary purpose of the Electronic Commerce Act 2006 is to provide legal recognition for electronic communications in the formation of contracts. In simple terms, it means that contracts made through emails, websites, or apps are recognised by law and are legally binding just like paper documents. The goal is to make it easier and safer to do business online by giving legal validity to electronic communications and transactions. More importantly, these electronic records can be used as valid proof to take legal action and resolve disputes.
The escalating geopolitical tensions, particularly the ongoing US-China rivalry, continue to have profound impact on the global semiconductor industry. In response, many semiconductor companies are actively seeking alternative manufacturing hubs to mitigate the disruptions and restrictions arising from these tensions. As the industry navigates through this shifting landscape, Malaysia has emerged as a key destination for strategic investment and expansion. In this article, we explore several key considerations that foreign investors should take into account when structuring investments in Malaysia’s semiconductor industry.
地缘政治局势持续演变,尤其中美之间的竞争不断加剧,正深刻影响全球半导体行业的发展路径。为应对此局势造成 的干扰和限制,众多半导体企业正加速推进制造基地的多元化布局。随着企业调整其战略,马来西亚逐渐崭露头角,成为投资和扩展的关键目的地。本文将探讨外国投资者在布局马来西亚半导体行业的投资时应重点关注的几个关键因素。
