Govt to study AI-backed asset tracking technology

PETALING JAYA: The Government is looking into an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted asset tracking and identifying technology to enhance the process of asset declaration and reporting system in the country.

A senior government official told theSun that this cutting-edge technology will be advantageous to relevant government bodies such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) to ‘probe’ individuals with hidden or undeclared wealth, or those possibly evading taxes.

“The study of (the AI-based) technology is in it’s preliminary stages and there is still a lot of grounds to cover,” said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“We have to look carefully into several concerns such as the data protection and privacy act as well as corresponding legal issues, before a decision is made on implementing the technology.

“But nevertheless, if approved and implemented, this technology will bring great benefits to the country in terms of identifying undeclared, hidden and ‘camouflaged’ assets of individuals ranging from politicians to public servants,” said the official.

It is learnt that the AI-based technology will be able to determine if an individual under scrutiny or probe is hiding or shielding assets and then make recommendations to the relevant government agencies to take appropriate actions.

The technology will be able to provide real-time data and assistance to the relevant agencies when it comes to tracking and identifying assets of a ‘person of interest’.

Last year, the MACC said it will review the mechanism for asset declarations to ensure greater transparency and accountability for politicians and public officials.

MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki was quoted then as saying that the current mechanism for asset declaration could be refined to ensure declarations were clearer and reflected politicians and public officials’ actual wealth.

MACC can probe individuals with extravagant lifestyles beyond their income level under Section 36 of the MACC Act 2009 and it can also probe false declarations under Section 3 of Act 783 and Section 199 of the Penal Code.

Recently, several prominent individuals in the country have come under spotlight due to issues with their asset declaration.

Meanwhile, the use of AI by the Malaysian government is not new.

The Malaysian judiciary made history in 2020 by using AI in the sentencing of individuals found guilty of drug related crimes.

But the use of the technology known as AiCOS (artificial intelligence in court sentencing) as part of a pilot project in Sabah and Sarawak came under fire from the Malaysian Bar Council.

As of now, AiCOS is only used for cases related to possession of scheduled drugs under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act.

The AiCOS system is currently under further studies especially for sentencing recommendations involving other types of crimes.