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.
The plaintiff, a shareholder and director, alleged that the first and second defendants, also shareholders and directors of the third defendant, Super Resources & Trading Sdn Bhd, acted oppressively and disregarded the interests of the plaintiff.
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.
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 Chief Commissioner of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (‘MACC’), Tan Sri Azam Baki had announced in May 2025, that the DPA mechanism to be adopted by 2026 through amendments of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 (‘the MACC Act’) which is planned to be tabled mid-2026. The intended mechanism will only be used for ‘grand corruption’ cases and not in ‘smaller amounts’ cases. Its aim is to have quick recovery of assets, reducing lengthy prosecution, and protecting innocent stakeholders.
On 17 July 2025, an Engagement Session on the Review of E-Commerce Legislation was held at Zenith Hotel, Putrajaya to engage relevant stakeholders on the ongoing review of Malaysia’s e-commerce laws. The session was led by YB Datuk Armizan, Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (“KPDN”), and moderated by KPDN officers. The engagement session brought together approximately 300 participants, including platform representatives, vendors, and users.
The amendments to the CAS Code and Schedule of Arbitration Costs which came into force on 1 July 2025, show a wavering commitment to expediting its procedures, thus enhancing efficiency and ensuring much clarity in the arbitral process. The formal inclusion of in-house clerks, removal of outdated communication methods, and the updated cost structure underscore a remarkable shift towards a more swift and cost-effective mode of dispute resolution in international sports arbitration.
We previously wrote about key changes introduced under the expansion of Sales Tax and Service Tax (SST) in our article dated 24th June 2025. Since the first announcement of the SST expansion on 9th June 2025, the Ministry of Finance (“MOF”) and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (“RMCD”) have made several revisions and released guidelines and tax policies, after considering public opinion.
Some revisions were announced barely a week before the expansion came into effect on 1st July 2025.
On 23 June 2025, Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Berhad (BMD) released the Trading Participants Circular 12/2025, announcing updates to Directive No. 6.25(1)-001. This directive outlines the list of foreign exchanges that Malaysian derivatives Trading Participants are permitted to access, in line with Rule 6.25(1)(b) of the BMD Rules.
