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05 April 2025
Malaysia’s PDPA Reforms Take Effect June 2025: What Every Business Needs to Know (And Do)
Starting June 1, 2025, Malaysia isn’t just tightening the screws on data protection — it’s rewiring the whole circuit.
With amendments under the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) 2024, businesses handling personal data — from financial institutions to e-commerce giants — must now rise to meet global standards. Think GDPR-level compliance, with local flavour.
Here’s the lowdown (minus the legal jargon) and what your business should do before June hits like a ransomware attack.
1. Appointing a Data Protection Officer (DPO) — No Longer Optional
Let’s not sugarcoat it — this is mandatory.
Any company processing large volumes of personal data, managing sensitive information, or engaging in systematic tracking of individuals must appoint a Data Protection Officer. This applies to both local and foreign companies operating in Malaysia.
Who qualifies as a DPO?
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A Malaysian resident (180 days/year)
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Proficient in both Bahasa Malaysia and English
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Well-versed in Malaysia’s PDPA and privacy best practices
The DPO will be your internal watchdog — advising your teams, monitoring compliance, running privacy audits, and acting as your liaison with regulators. You’ll need to notify the Commissioner of your appointed DPO and publicly list their contact (email). Yes, there’s no hiding in the server room anymore.
💡Pro tip: Outsourcing to an external DPO provider like Raven gives you expert-level coverage without the headcount.
2. Data Breach Notifications — The 72-Hour Rule is Here
Gone are the days when companies could sweep a breach under the digital rug.
Under the new law:
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You must notify the PDPC within 72 hours of discovering a breach.
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You must notify affected individuals within 7 days, if there’s risk of significant harm (identity theft, financial loss, etc.)
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Maintain a breach incident register for at least 2 years
This isn’t just about compliance — it’s about maintaining customer trust in the age of cyberattacks.
If your breach response plan involves crossing fingers and praying to the IT gods — it’s time to upgrade.
3. Data Portability — Your Customers Now Own Their Data Journey
Data is no longer your hostage. From June 2025, consumers can request their personal data to be ported from one provider to another — think insurance policies, bank records, or even telco usage history.
To comply, your systems must:
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Export data in a machine-readable format
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Ensure secure transfer to other data controllers
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Track all requests and responses for accountability
This puts pressure on businesses to invest in interoperable systems and better data governance — or risk losing customers to more agile competitors.
4. The Action Plan: What Your Business Needs to Do Now
If you’re a mid to large company operating in Malaysia — or even a foreign company processing Malaysian user data — here’s your PDPA 2025 punch list:
✅ Appoint (or lease) a qualified DPO
✅ Set up a breach notification protocol
✅ Update your internal and external privacy policies
✅ Ensure your IT systems can handle data portability requests
✅ Conduct staff training on data handling and breach response
✅ Review and document your entire data lifecycle — collection to deletion
At Raven, we provide everything from DPO outsourcing, PDPA audits, employee awareness training, to incident response simulations (yes, we run digital fire drills too).
Final Word: Compliance is Not Just a Risk Avoidance Game
These reforms are more than red tape — they’re your chance to build credibility, resilience, and future-ready systems in a trust-driven digital world.
June 1st is coming — the question is: Will your company be caught off guard, or ahead of the curve?
Let Raven be your data bodyguard.
🛡️ Secure your business. Empower your customers. Comply with confidence.
