Product Compliance
in Malaysia

The Department of Standards, the national standards and accreditation body, provides and maintains standardization and accreditation services for global competitiveness. Established in 1996 and governed by the Standard of Malaysia Act 1996 (Act 549), the Department of Standards is under the purview of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

The national standards and accreditation body in Malaysia, providing and maintaining of standards and standardization services is The Department of Standards which comes under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. The Department of Standards was established in 1996 and is governed by the Standard of Malaysia Act 1996 (Act 549).

SIRIM QAS International, formerly known as the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia, is the state-owned entity providing institutional and technical infrastructure for the government.

The SIRIM Certification is not compulsory. However, in some cases, it may be made as such by the regulatory agencies.

The SIRIM Certification has to be conducted in case of products for which standards exist.

Besides Malaysian Standards, certification can also be made on the basis of  International Standard (e.g. ISO, IEC), National Standard of other countries (e.g. BS, SS, JIS, DIN), Regional Standards (e.g. EN).

Malaysian law regulates specific sub-sectors and certain types of products and devices.  Examples are as follows.

• Products for water supply: Under the Water Services Industry Act (WSIA) 2006, suppliers and products for water supply and sewerage need to be registered to the National Water Services Commission (SPAN). The products include pipes, fittings, valves, tanks, meters, chemicals for water treatment, sanitary wares and pumps.
• Communication & Multimedia products: Communication and multimedia devices require certification under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Technical Standards Regulation 2000). Likewise, the Customs Act 1967 and Prohibition of Import 1998 covers the import of such devices.
• Metal Products: Import of metal products for industrial usage requires the Certificate of Approval (COA) certifying that the imports conform to Malaysian standards or equivalent international standards.
• Building Materials: Importing ceramic tiles and sanitary wares for building and construction industries requires a Certificate of Approval (COA).
• Fire Safety products: Fire safety construction and fire protection measures are significant concerns. Currently, the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984, Fire Services Act 1988 and Fire Services (Fire Certificate) Regulations 2001 cover both concerns.
• Electrical & Electronics: Under the Electricity Regulations 1994, a Certificate of Approval (COA) from the Energy Commission is necessary for electrical and electronic goods.
• Personal Protective Equipment: PPE must meet the requirements of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH).

Apart from the products listed above, further products may come under the Malaysian import licensing (based either on compliance with Malaysian or international standards).  The list of these products is available in the Malaysian Customs (Prohibition of Imports) Order.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is a regulatory body responsible for the regulation of the communications and multimedia industry of Malaysia.

All communications equipment subject to certification has to be certified by the Commission or its registered certifying agency and fulfill the Communications and Multimedia (Technical Standards) Regulations 2000.

Telecommunication and radio frequency transmitter products intended to be marketed in Malaysia that are using the radio spectrum or are connect to the public network and have to go through a mandatory approval process established by SIRIM QAS.

The equipment shall be certified by way of:

• Compliance approval; or
• Special approval

In order to obtain Compliance Approval Certification in Malaysia, the application must be performed by a Malaysian registered company with a valid registration number under Registration of Company (ROC) or Registration of Business (ROB) of the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM). The Compliance Approval Certificate has a 5-year validity period.

To obtain Compliance Approval Certification, the application must be submitted by a company registered in Malaysia which has a valid registration number issued by Registration of Company (ROC) or Registration of Business (ROB) of the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM). The Compliance Approval Certificate expires after five years.

The MCMC SIRIMA QAS Certification Mark has to be visible and readable. The size of the Compliance Mark may vary proportionately as required. The minimum dimensions of the mark are 8 millimetres in height by 8 millimetres in width (8mm x 8mm).

The Certificate Holder must use either one of the optional colours (black, reverse white or grey) for the Certification Mark, as long as it is visible either by contrast with the background colour or the marking. In case of applying the Certificate Holder’s unique ID or Common ID for Principal/manufacturer, the font must be visible.

The Compliance Mark has to be printed on a white background. In those cases where the base that the label needs to be applied may worsen visibility of the label, a reverse white or 30% black version should be used.