Starting 2026, Malaysia will introduce a series of long overdue policy and regulatory reforms covering key areas such as the digital economy, youth development, environmental protection, cybersecurity, and traffic order. The policies that receive the most attention are e-invoice and banning children under the age of 16 from independently registering social media accounts. At the same time, large social media and instant messaging platforms will be required to automatically obtain licenses and be subject to Malaysian laws, in order to prevent cybercrime and protect minors.

Another piece of legislative reform that should receive great attention and be strictly enforced is the new Community Service regulations, which state that anyone caught littering may be ordered by the court to perform up to 12 hours of community service. In addition to community service, littering offenders may also be fined up to RM2,000. If they fail to comply with the community service order, the fine may be increased to between RM2,000 and RM10,000, and possibly imprisonment depending on the seriousness of the offence. Given the dirty roads and pavements across Malaysia, it is high time that the “litterbugs” be disciplined. But then, success will depend on enforcement which is often the Achilles heel of the Malaysian ecosystem.