Amirudin calls for AI safeguards ahead of wider adoption
The Selangor menteri besar cited risks including information manipulation and political interference during the Budget 2027 debate.
Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari (Pakatan Harapan-Gombak) has called on the government to put ethical rules in place before broadening artificial intelligence (AI) use in Malaysia, saying technological advances should not come at the expense of national sovereignty, security or public interests.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat during the policy-stage debate on the Supply (Budget 2027) Bill, the Selangor menteri besar said AI needed scrutiny beyond its economic potential. He identified manipulation of information, surveillance on a mass scale and political interference as risks of misuse.
Amirudin said ethical guidance and suitable regulation were needed as Malaysia sought investment from global technology firms and developed its AI ecosystem.
He also sought a review of regional development planning, with strategies shaped around local needs and potential. Johor, the Klang Valley and Penang remained dominant growth centres, he said, making the wider distribution of economic gains difficult.
Rather than relying solely on allocations to states and areas, Amirudin called for detailed planning to narrow regional economic gaps. He urged federal and state administrations to work more closely with local authorities in identifying activities that could support local growth.
In the same debate, Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang (Perikatan Nasional-Marang) urged greater emphasis on moral values and character alongside academic performance. The PAS president also called for national development policies grounded in the country’s own principles, with justice, integrity and public well-being as priorities.
