Personal Data Protection in Malaysia Law and Practice

The right to privacy has been recognised as a fundamental human right and privacy protection is frequently seen as a way of drawing the line at how far society can intrude into a person’s affairs. In today’s digital world, personal data has emerged as something that is valuable and needs to be taken care of. Besides ensuring the privacy and security of individuals, the protection and integrity of personal data are also important for business reputation and success.

The Personal Data Protection Act 2010 aims at regulating the processing of personal data in commercial transactions. The proper implementation of the legislative scheme and its compliance by the business sector will move Malaysia a long way towards meeting the data protection requirements imposed by major trading partners around the world.

This book is the first work to consider in detail the law and practice of the protection of personal data in Malaysia. Written by authors who are well-known in this field, it explains the workings of the new Malaysian data protection system. The various personal data protection principles are discussed in depth. The experience of other jurisdictions such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland is referred to for valuable guidance. The international data protection instruments, namely the OECD Guidelines, the European Union Data Protection Directive, the Council of Europe Convention, the APEC Privacy Framework and the Madrid Resolution are also discussed. A wide range of cases that have been investigated and decided by the personal data protection authorities and the appellate courts of various jurisdictions are presented to offer guidance on the practical application of the law.

Data protection law is envisaged to have a big impact on day-to-day business practices. It provides important rights to individual data subjects that have to be respected and protected by business organisations, large and small, because the stiff penalties provided will make infringements very costly for businesses. This is therefore a book that is essential reading for corporate counsel, legal advisers, lawyers, academics, senior business executives, human resource managers, compliance managers, IT professionals and risk management executives.

Readership
Corporate counsel, legal advisers, lawyers, academics, senior business executives, human resource managers, compliance managers, IT professionals and risk management executives