Associate Professor Jaspal Kaur Sadhu Singh

I have been teaching since 1996 and held the position of Associate Professor at a private university in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia prior to joining CCCU in December 2022.

I hold a Phd in Law from Aberystwyth University, with an LLB (University of London) and an LLM (National University of Malaysia). I am also a non-practising Advocate and Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya.

I have been teaching law since September 1996 – delivering undergraduate and postgraduate courses both in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong (on home-grown programmes or with partner institutions in the UK and Australia).

My current research interest is in online falsehoods, challenges perambulating free speech and expression, and legal and ethical debates involving data governance, ethics, and AI.

I am currently leading the teaching of Public Law 2 (LLB), and am contributing on the Internet, Law and Society module (LLB), Public International Law (LLM) and Current Legal Issues in International Business (LLM).

The development of a new module on AI Governance, Law and Policy is currently underway to be offered on the LLM. 

In my previous institution, I have taught on the following subjects - Malaysian Legal System, Employment Law, ICT and E-Commerce Law, Data Governance Law (Malaysian LLB); E-Commerce Law, Employment Law (Australian Business Degree Programme); IT, Law, and Ethics, E-Commerce Law (Australian Master Programmes); Legal Method & System (UK Degree Transfer Programme).

 Publications 

Contributing Editor 

Annotated Statutes of Malaysia, Malayan Law Journal (Lexis Nexis): 

• Information Technology Law, 2005 & 2009 editions - Computer Crimes Act, Digital Signatures Act and Telemedicine Act  
• 2008 edition - Excise Act 1976, Service Tax Act 1975 and Environmental Quality Act 1974 
• 2009 edition – Civil Law Act 

Halsbury’s Laws of Malaysia, Malayan Law Journal (Lexis Nexis): 

• Tort, Gaming and Betting – 2007 edition 
• Constitutional Law, Administrative Law – 2009 edition

Articles 

1. Making A Case for Internet Censorship: Weighing the Balance In A World Divided  (2006) HELP Law Review, Vol 1 
2. The Paradoxical State of No Free Speech in Free Space: Blocking the Bloggers (2007) HELP Law Review, Vol 2  
3. Rethinking the Throwing of the Legal Gauntlet on Citizen Journalism on the Net  (2009) HELP Law Review, Vol 3  
4. A Clash of Values: Impact on Citizen Journalism on the Internet - Meandering Through the Anonymity versus Accountability Debate (2012) HELP Law Review, Vol 5 
5. Elder Law: Understanding filial piety – A precursor, Malaysian Bar Council Newsletter, Issue 3, January 2016 
6. The Introduction of the Fourth Estate into Malaysian Jurisprudence and its impact on Political Libel: A Prefatory View (2016) Journal of Malaysian and Comparative Law, Vol 43(2) [ERA] 
7. Free Speech, Constitutional Interpretation, and Sedition in Malaysia: Taking a rights-expansive approach (2020) Journal of Malaysian and Comparative Law, Vol 46(1) [ERA] 
8. The Use of Pre-Action Discovery in Disclosing the Identity of Anonymous Speakers in Defamation Suits: The Law So Far and The Potential Constitutional Deliberations [2020] 2 Malayan Law Journal cviii  
9. AI, Law and Ethics: The Emergence of a New Discourse in the Legal Thoroughfare [2020] 5 Malayan Law Journal i 
10. An AI Ethical Framework for Malaysia: A Much-Needed Governance Tool for Reducing Risks and Liabilities Arising from AI Systems [2021] 3 Malayan Law Journal cdxiv 

Feature Articles/Op-Eds 

1. “Ethical dilemma behind AI” 

a) The New Straits Times, 3 September 2019 (print & online)  https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2019/09/518491/ethical-dilemma-behind-ai 

b) “Data Governance and Ethics: Technology’s potential to incorporate human values”, JUST, 6 August 2019 https://www.just-international.org/mediastatement/data-governance-and-ethics-technologys-potential-to-incorporate-human-values/  

2. “Is there a place for ethics in Smart Cities?” 

a) JUST, 5 November 2019 https://www.just-international.org/mediastatement/is-there-a-place-for-ethics-in-smart-cities/ 

b) Countercurrents.org, 7 November  https://countercurrents.org/2019/11/is-there-a-place-for-ethics-in-smart-cities 

c) Global Research, 7 November  https://www.globalresearch.ca/place-ethics-smart-cities/5694230 

d) The New Straits Times, 10 November 2019 (print & online)  https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2019/11/537112/there-place-ethics-smart-cities 

3. “Human conscience in algorithmic regulation: How asking ethical questions will determine altruism in AI”  Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on February 17, 2020 - February 23, 2020  https://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/how-asking-ethical-questions-will-determine-altruism-ai 

4. “AI and Predictive Justice in our Courts: Paying heed to exigencies of the responsibilities and the risks”

a) Countercurrents.org, 5 February 2020  https://countercurrents.org/2020/02/ai-and-predictive-justice-in-our-courts-paying-heed-to-exigencies-of-the-responsibilities-and-the-risks/ 

b) Global Research, 6 February 2020  https://www.globalresearch.ca/ai-predictive-justice-our-courts/5702855 

c) The New Straits Times, 15 February 2020 (print & online)  https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2020/02/565890/ethical-questions-risks-using-ai-predictive-justice 

5. “The Evolution of Zoom as a Communication Platform during the Pandemic: At a rate of knots”  https://www.just-international.org/mediastatement/the-evolution-of-zoom-as-a-communication-platform-during-the-pandemic-at-a-rate-of-knots/ (online) 25 August, 2020 

6. “AI and the Workplace: Maintaining workers’ dignity”

a) JUST, 4 June 2021 http://www.just-international.org/mediastatement/ai-and-the-workplace-maintaining-workers-dignity/ 

b) The New Straits Times, 8 June 2021 (print & online) – Abridged version  “Maintaining dignity of employees in navigating the AI revolution” https://api.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2021/06/697072/maintaining-dignity-employees-navigating-ai-revolution 

Reports

Contributor, Malaysian AI Blueprint Annual Report 2021 (BIGIT). Available at https://www.bigittechnology.com/malaysia-ai-blueprint-2021/

Co-Researcher, Malaysia AI Ethics Maturity Report 2021 - Ethical Standards Towards a Trustworthy AI: A Measurement to Determine AI Maturity

Recommendations for the Creation of A Governance Framework for the Protection of Personal Data Used in the Development of AI Systems (Digital Research Grant, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, Media Matters Volume 5, 83-97)

Conferences 

Paper titled ‘Citizen Journalism on the Internet: A Taste of Freedom of Expression - the Malaysian Experience’ presented at the Annual Student Human Rights Conference 2009 - Beyond Words: Freedom of Expression and its Contemporary Challenges, 14 March 2009, University of Nottingham. 

 Paper titled ‘Digital Citizen Media in Malaysia: Advocacy by technology, suppression by law’ presented at BILETA (British & Irish Law, Education and Technology Association) 2009: To Infinity and Beyond: law and Technology in Harmony, 21-23 April 2009, University of Winchester.  

 Paper titled ‘Cyberdissidentship rising: Tensions between the State and Social Media’ presented at the Annual Staff-Student Law Conference 2010 (A Conference of Law Schools in Wales) 26-28 February 2010, Gregynog, Wales.  

 Paper titled ‘NightJack’s case: A chilling effect on blogging and blogger’s rights…or perhaps not.’ presented at BILETA (British & Irish Law, Education and Technology Association) 2010: Globalisation, Internet and the Law, 29-30 March 2010, University of Vienna, Austria.  

 Paper titled ‘Legal and Policy Responses to Social Media: Case of Hits or Misses?’ presented at 5th International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 2-5 August 2010, Cambridge University.  

 Paper titled ‘Critical Challenges to Free Expression: How critical are these to social media actors?’ presented at the Annual Society of Legal Scholars Conference, 13-16 September 2010, Southampton University. 

 Paper titled ‘After the fitful fever, what’s life for WikiLeaks after the WikiDump: New conundrums for social media’, presented at BILETA 2011: Harnessing technology’s full potential; minimising potential threats, 11-12 April 2011, Manchester Metropolitan. 

 Paper titled “A Clash of Values: Impact on Citizen Journalism on the Internet – Meandering through the Anonymity versus Accountability debate” presented at Fourth Northumbria Information Rights Conference, 6 June 2011, Northumbria University. 

 Paper titled “Prosecuting Speech on Social Media Platforms: Seeking guidance from the UK guidelines’ presented at the International Conference of Law & Justice, 24 June 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 

 Paper titled “Hiding Elephants in Mouseholes: Influence of Gatekeeping of Social Media Platforms on Social Media Activity” presented at UiTM’s International Conference on Law, Policy and Social Justice, 10-11 September 2014, Penang, Malaysia. 

 Paper titled “The Need for Developing a Defence of Public Interest in Protecting Speech in Malaysia: Making a Case” presented at the Centre for Media and Communications Law, Law School, Melbourne University’s IP and Media Law Conference, 23-24 November, Melbourne, Australia. 

 Paper titled “The Development of Malaysian Defamation Law - The Progressive Influence of English Common Law” presented at SLS 2016 Annual Conference, St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, 6-9 September 2016, Oxford, UK. 

 Paper titled “Constitutional Protection of Free Speech and Fake News Prosecution 
in Malaysia: The challenges ahead” presented at the 5th Winchester Conference on Trust, Risk, Information & the Law, University of Winchester, 25 April, Winchester, UK 

 Paper titled “The Malaysian Anti-Fake News Act 2018 – A Premature Gestation” presented at the Society of Legal Scholars Annual Conference, Queen Mary University of London, 4th and 5th September 2018, London, UK 

Paper titled “Formulating the Legal Parameters for the Regulation of Online Falsehoods”, MCMC Research Symposium (Malaysia on the Cusp of Hyperconnectivity), Marriott Putrajaya, 21 November 2019, Putrajaya, Malaysia 

Paper titled “Ethical Principles for AI: Pushing the agenda for adopting a framework for governance in Malaysia”, MCMC Research Symposium (Malaysia on the Cusp of Hyperconnectivity), Marriott Putrajaya, 21 November 2019, Putrajaya, Malaysia 

Paper titled “Drawing up a national ethical framework for the development and deployment of trustworthy and responsible AI: Not a case of one-size-fits-all”, presented at Society of Law Scholars 2020 Annual Conference, University of Exeter, 1-4 September 2020 (Virtual). 

Paper titled “Recommendations for the creation of a governance framework for the protection of personal data used in the development of AI systems in Malaysia”, presented at Law, Technology, and Diversity in Asia, 18th Asian Law Institute Conference, Universitas Pelita Harapan, Indonesia, 15 to 17 September 2021. 

Paper titled “Public Health Crisis & Surveillance at the Workplace: Employers’ new duty of data governance”, presented at Privacy, COVID & the Workplace Conference, LAWASIA Virtual Annual Conference 2021, 15-18 November 2021. 

Research Paper titled “Recommendations for the creation of a governance framework for the protection of personal data used in the development of AI systems” presented at MCMC Research Symposium Series No.9 2021, 1 December 2021 & MCMC DSRG Symposium, 30 August 2022. 

 

Research Projects 

Internal Research Grants (HELP University, Kuala Lumpur)  

2016: Developing a defence of public interest in protecting speech in Malaysia: Guidance from the UK Experience. 

 2018: Fake News and the Law: Developing a framework of prosecutorial guidelines for prosecuting the production, publication and distribution of fake news on information intermediaries' platforms in Malaysia. 

 

External Grants 

Awarded and Completed: 15 July 2021 – 15 April 2022

MCMC’s Digital Society Research Grant

Title: Recommendations for the creation of a governance framework for the protection of personal data used in the development of AI systems 

 Awarded: September 2021

Ministry of Higher Education’s Fundamental Research Grant (FRGS) [Ongoing] 

Title: Aligning a national AI ethics framework with Malaysian values to govern the development and deployment of trustworthy and responsible AI systems in Malaysia 

 

Speaking Engagements – Guest Lectures, Forums, Presentations, Panels

Guest Lecture, "The Protection of Freedom of Expression in the New Malaysia: The challenges ahead", Bristol Law School UWE, Bristol, 6 February 2019 

Presenter, “Thinking like a Lawyer: How Clinical Legal Education Transformed the Law Undergraduate”, Annual Convocation 22nd Strategy Seminar 2019, HELP University, 11 April 2019 

Panellist, “Data Governance Dos and Don'ts at What is Data Governance (and why do you need it)?”, Malaysia Tech Week (MDEC), 20 June 2019 

Presenter, “How ethics must play a role in Algorithmic Regulation as a Tool of Government”, Enterprise Architecture & Artificial Intelligence Conference (IASA & MDEC), 29 August 2019 

Presenter, “Legal Parameters for Consideration When Regulating Online Falsehoods and Misinformation”, HELP University Research Seminar, 4 September 2019 

Panellist, “The Destructiveness of Fake News”, HELP University National Conversations Forum, 9 October 2019 

Panellist, “Information, transparency and fake news in the algorithmic society: public and private governance after Cambridge Analytica”, IBA Seoul, Korea, 26 September 2019 

Panellist, Smart Cities v Ethical Cities Debate (Maxis Innovation Dialogue), 30 September 2019 

Panellist, “Ethics in Artificial Intelligence”, BEYOND4 Fest, 10 December 2019 

Panellist, “Government Accountability during COVID-19: The Citizen's Right to Know” LAWASIA, 9 June 2020 (Virtual) 

Co-Presenter, “AI Ethics Applied: Trends and Issues in applying Ethics Frameworks in AI Development”, 8th Annual Data Science Show, BIGIT & Disruptive Tech Institute, 22-23 September 2020, Kuala Lumpur (Virtual) 

Panellist, Women and Data, at the DataKITA.Pulse, organised by Data Ecosystem Development Division (MDEC), Malaysia Tech Month, 20 November 2020 (Virtual) 

Interview, JUST IN DISCUSSION: Freedom to Tweet: Censorship and Free Speech in the digital arena (7 February 2021) <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eD6CYjZbN-4&feature=youtu.be> 

Co-Presenter, Keynote Address, “The Confluence of Ethical Maturity with AI Adoption: Nudging Organisations Towards Trustworthy AI”, BIGIT 2021, the 9th Annual Data Science Show, 16 November 2020 (Virtual) 

Featured Speaker, “Ethics and Artificial Intelligence”, AIWS (AI World Summit) MyFinB & CE.A.I, 1 December 2021 (Virtual) 

Co-Presenter, “The State of AI: Law. Ethics. And…”, Knowledge Sharing, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Digital Innovation Division, 3 December 2021 (Virtual) 

 

Visiting Scholar 

2012: Visiting Scholar, School of Law, Northumbria University, November 2012 

2014: Visiting Scholar, School of Law, Leeds University, November 2014 

2016: Visiting Scholar, School of Law, Leeds University, January 2016 

2018: Visiting Scholar, School of Journalism, Cardiff University, April 2018 

2019: Visiting Scholar, School of Law, University of West of Bristol, 26 January- 8 February 2019 

I am consulted as a subject matter expert in my areas of specialisation and have been invited to participate in the framing of the National Data Sharing Policy by the Ministry of Communications & Multimedia (now known as the Ministry of Communications and Digital) and the AI National Roadmap on the AI Governance and Ethics Working Committee at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.    

I am also an Academic and Industry Expert of the MCMC Academy, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, Malaysia. I contribute op-eds in Malaysian mainstream and alternative news outlets.

https://api.nst.com.my/authors/dr-jaspal-kaur-sadhu-singh