TOWARDS MAQASID SHARIAH-ALIGNED ICT GOVERNANCE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF DATA SOVEREIGNTY AND DATA SAFETY IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Rapid digital transformation has accelerated innovation, economic development, and public service delivery across many countries, including Malaysia. Yet, this shift poses serious threats to data safety and data sovereignty. Following the PRISMA guideline, this study implements a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to synthesize the evidence on data sovereignty and data safety in Malaysia’s ICT governance. Following a standard screening process, 71 relevant studies published between 2021 and 2026 were selected and analyzed to examine their relevance to ethical ICT governance in Malaysia. The selected articles were further categorized based on quality assessment criteria with a goal to deliver a complete summary of the present research landscape. This study examines existing frameworks related to ICT governance, data sovereignty, data safety, and Islamic ethical perspectives, particularly Maqasid Shariah. The findings highlight the need for a unified governance model that synthesizes regulatory governance, technical safeguards, ethical principles, and public trust. This study contributes to the development of a Maqasid Shariah-aligned ICT governance framework for Malaysia’s digital transformation agenda.