Malaysia proposes review of e-commerce law in cooperation with UN trade and development agency, says domestic trade minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) has proposed to collaborate with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to conduct a study on e-commerce regulations.

Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the proposal was made during a meeting with UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebecca Grynspan in Geneva today. Also present was Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations (UN) Datuk Nadzirah Osman.

He added that the organization had provisionally accepted the proposal.

“UNCTAD also noted that this initiative is part of its work to help developing countries benefit from integration into the global trading system, improve access to digital technologies and protect consumers from exploitation.

“KPDN hopes that this collaboration will support the ministry’s efforts to effectively conduct the study on e-commerce regulations by sharing expertise and best practices at the international level,” Armizan said in a statement today.

Armizan explained that UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body established within the UN responsible for promoting trade and development in developing countries.

He added that the organization supports developing countries through knowledge sharing, technical assistance, analytical research and capacity building.

“As a member state, Malaysia has long cooperated with and benefited from the services and assistance provided by this international organisation.

“KPDN’s cooperation and engagement with UNCTAD is facilitated by the Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) in formulating and enforcing competition policy and regulations,” he said.

Armizan added that KPDN, as the ministry regulating the e-commerce industry, is currently reviewing e-commerce regulations to update existing regulations to accommodate the rapid development of the sector.

This includes, but is not limited to, the Electronic Commerce Act 2006, the Consumer Protection Act 1999 and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce Transactions) Regulations 2012.

He said the review of e-commerce regulations, conducted in line with the provisions of the Fourth Plan of the ongoing Twelfth Malaysia Plan, commenced in April 2024 and is expected to be completed by March 2025.

He also cited data from the Malaysian Department of Statistics which revealed that Malaysian e-commerce industry revenue grew by six per cent in 2022 to reach 1.09 trillion ringgit, up from 1.03 trillion ringgit in 2021.

He stressed that KPDN remains committed to ensuring the country’s sustainable economic development, protecting consumer interests, and facilitating the continued rapid growth of the e-commerce industry. — Bernama