SUBANG JAYA: A comprehensive review of e-commerce legislation is underway, with completion expected by the second quarter of 2025.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the review, which started in May, will lead to the introduction of a new legislative framework in the third quarter of the same year.
He said this initiative was part of the ministry's broader effort to implement legal reforms, ensuring that the e-commerce legislative framework remains comprehensive and aligned with technological advancements and current demands.
"For everyone's information, the ministry has already begun a thorough review to strengthen the e-commerce legislative framework.
"I want to assure everyone here that our purpose and goal are specifically to ensure that the interests and rights of consumers are always protected.
"It is also essential for us to ensure that the e-commerce sector becomes a progressive economic field with a high level of reliability," he told reporters after the closing ceremony of the Shopee Seller Summit.
Armizan said there were three laws related to e-commerce under the ministry's purview: the Electronic Commerce Act 2006, the Consumer Protection Act 1999 and the Consumer Protection (Electronic Trade Transactions) Regulations 2012.
He added that reviewing the legislative framework related to e-commerce is timely to ensure the sector can continue to grow.
"Today, many academics and legal experts believe we need to revisit the e-commerce legal structure more comprehensively.
"We all know that e-commerce is a robust, fast-evolving, and rapidly growing sector."
As such, said Armizan, the ministry hopes industry players will provide their views and recommendations to support the government's efforts to review the existing legal framework to boost the nation's economy.
"The ministry is also committed to and always supports any efforts made by e-commerce industry players in this country to create a healthy and progressive trading environment that can enhance the income of the people and the nation."