Amirudin Urges an AI Ethics Framework Before Wider Adoption in Budget 2027 Debate

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari has urged the government to set out an ethical framework for artificial intelligence before expanding its use in daily life, so that technological progress does not compromise national security, sovereignty or the interests of the people, The Edge Malaysia reported on October 21. Amirudin, the Pakatan Harapan MP for Gombak, made the call while debating the Supply (Budget 2027) Bill at the policy stage in the Dewan Rakyat.

He argued that AI should be judged not only by its potential to drive economic growth but also by the risks of misuse, naming information manipulation, mass surveillance and interference in political processes. “I have repeatedly emphasised the need to establish ethical principles for the use of AI before embracing the technology more widely and rapidly in our daily lives,” he said, adding that AI development must be guided by ethical principles and appropriate regulatory measures so that advances do not override human interests or national sovereignty.

Amirudin said the issue deserved serious attention as Malaysia steps up efforts to attract investment from international technology companies and expand its AI ecosystem. In the same speech he called for regional development strategies to be reassessed, warning that growth centres such as Johor, the Klang Valley and Penang continue to dominate the economy.

What it means in practice

The intervention matters because of who is making it. Selangor is home to several of the data centre and AI projects that Putrajaya has courted, so a call for ethics first from its menteri besar, made from the government benches, signals that speed is not the only political priority. It also lands while the rules are still being written: Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo has said an AI governance bill is expected in the Dewan Rakyat early next year.

The budget itself pushes access forward. Budget 2027 plans a sovereign AI cloud and 100,000 more free AI subscriptions, while officials are also seeking safety-by-design for AI chatbots aimed at children. Amirudin did not spell out what an ethics framework should contain or who should enforce it.

What to watch: whether the government’s reply at the end of the policy-stage debate addresses AI ethics, whether the planned governance bill includes binding principles on surveillance and political misuse, and whether Selangor adopts its own guidelines first.