MALAYSIA
UPDATES O N INTERNATIO NAL AND REG IO NAL STA NDARDS, TEC HINC AL REG ULATIO NS AND C O NFO RMITY ASSESSMENT PRO C EDURES
1. O VERVIEW O F THE TIMBER INDUSTRY
The Ma la ysia n timb e r ind ustry ha s b e e n d rive n tra d itio na l b y e xp o rt d e ma nd s. Its
d e ve lo p me nt a nd g ro wth a re ve ry muc h limite d with inte rna tio na l tra d ing
e nviro nme nt. In 2006, this se c to r re c o rd e d e xp o rt o f RM 23.44 b illio n, a n inc re a se o f 8.4 p e rc e nt o ve r the p re vio us ye a r. ASEAN C o untrie s c o ntrib ute a sig nific a nt a mo unt
o f this p e rfo rma nc e a c c o unting fo r RM 2,053 m illio n in 2006. Plywo o d a nd furniture p ro d uc ts we re the ‘ g ro wth d rive rs’ o f the ind ustry, the se two p ro d uc ts a c c o unte d fo r
mo re tha n ha lf o f a ll re c e ip ts fro m Ma la ysia ’ s timb e r ind ustry e xp o rts.
It ha s b e e n wid e ly re c o g nise d tha t sta nd a rd isa tio n is a c ritic a l b usine ss issue with
tre me nd o us imp lic a tio ns fo r fa c ilita ting tra d e a nd e nha nc ing c o mp e titive ne ss. In this
c o nte xt, the G o ve rnme nt ha s id e ntifie d the d e ve lo p me nt o f sta nd a rd s a s o ne o f the
sp e c ific me a sure s tha t ha s to b e g ive n p rio rity to furthe r e nha nc e the d e ve lo p me nt
o f the timb e r ind ustry in Ma la ysia .
2. STANDARDS, TEC HNIC AL REG ULATIO NS AND C O NFO RMITY ASSESSMENT
C urre ntly two o rg a nisa tio ns a re invo lve d in the d e ve lo p me nt o f sta nd a rd re la te d to
timb e r a nd timb e r p ro d uc ts se c to r. The Ma la ysia n Timb e r Ind ustry Bo a rd (MTIB) wa s
first a p p o inte d a s the Sta nd a rd s Writing O rg a nisa tio ns in 1999. In d isc ha rg ing its d utie s
a s the SWO MTIB ha s b e e n a c tua lly invo lve d in d e ve lo p me nt o f na tio na l sta nd a rd s a s
we ll a s p a rtic ip a ting in re g io na l a nd inte rna tio na l fo rum o n sta nd a rd iza tio n. Ap a rt
fro m MTIB, the Ma la ysia n Wo o d Pre se rva tive Asso c ia tio n (MWPA) ha s a lso b e e n
a c tive in the d e ve lo p me nt o f sta nd a rd s p e rta ining to wo o d p re se rva tive s a nd
c he mic a ls.
The DSM e nc o ura g e s use o f te c hnic a l re g ula tio ns to imp le me nt na tio na l sta nd a rd s. In
stra te g ie s fo r a wid e r a d o p tio n o f Ma la ysia n Sta nd a rd s, a nd to b ring a b o ut g re a te r
a wa re ne ss a nd usa g e o f Ma la ysia n Sta nd a rd s.
3. DEVELO PMENT AND PRO G RESS STATUS O F STANDARDS DEVELO PMENT
3.1 C urre nt Na tio na l Sta nda rds in the wo o d- b a se d se c to r
The re a re a b o ut 90 sta nd a rd s re la te d to timb e r a nd timb e r p ro d uc ts, p ub lishe d in
Ma la ysia . In d ra fting a ny sta nd a rd s, re le va nt p a rtie s a re invo lve d in the
d e lib e ra tio n a s to ha ve c o nse nsus d e c isio n to the inp uts. The re le va nt p a rtie s a re
suc h a s re se a rc he rs, ind ustry p la ye rs, e nfo rc e me nt o ffic ia ls, sp e c ifie s a s we ll a s
c o nsume rs.
3.2 Sta tus o f im ple m e nta tio n fo r e a c h na tio na l sta nda rd
Ma la ysia n Sta nd a rd s p a rtic ula rly o n timb e r a nd timb e r p ro d uc ts a re use d in ma ny
fo rms suc h a s in p ro c ure me nt d o c ume nts, in sp e c ifying re q uire me nts fo r tra d e , in
a sc e rta ining q ua lity le ve ls o f p ro d uc ts in ma nufa c turing a nd se rvic e p ro visio n a nd
a s a ve hic le fo r te c hno lo g y tra nsfe r. The y a c t a s a stra te g ie s to o l fo r the e xp o rt o f
Ma la ysia n p ro d uc ts a nd se rvic e s.
4. O THER RELEVANT INFO RMATIO N
4.1 Ne w Im p o rt Re q uire m e nts fo r Plywo o d b y Ta iwa n
Ta iwa n ha s imp o se d ne w imp o rt re q uire me nts fo r fo rma ld e hyd e e missio n te st fo r
p lywo o d s a nd LVL. The re q uire me nts will b e e ffe c tive fro m 1 July 2007 fo r
p lywo o d , while fo r the LVL it ha d a lre a d y b e e n e ffe c tive fro m 1 Ja nua ry 2007. The
Bure a u o f Sta nd a rd s, Me tro lo g y a nd Insp e c tio n (BSMI) und e r the Ministry o f
Ec o no mic Affa irs, Ta iwa n, ha s b e e n c o mmissio ne d to imp le me nt this
e ntry in Ta iwa n. RPC . Und e r the RPC Sc he me , e xp o rte rs a nd ma nufa c ture rs a re
re q uire d in a d va nc e , to o b ta in ne c e ssa ry c e rtific a te / e nd o rse me nt b y BSMI.
O nc e the e xp o rte rs o r ma nufa c ture rs ha ve o b ta ine d this
c e rtific a te / e nd o rse me nt, the y c a n e xp o rt the ir p ro d uc ts witho ut furthe r
insp e c tio n, a d d itio na l c o st a s we ll a s d e la y.
De ta ils o f b o th TABI a nd RPC Sc he ma s a re a s Anne x I.
Whe n Ma la ysia c o nd uc te d a te c hnic a l timb e r missio n to Ta iwa n in 10-12 Ap il
2007, this ma tte r wa s d isc usse d with the re le va nt p a rtie s in Ta iwa n. Furthe r to tha t,
a d e b rie fing se ssio n wa s a lso he ld to info rm the ind ustry o n this la te st mo ve b y the
imp o rting c o untry.
5. C O NC LUSIO N
Ma la ysia n Sta nd a rd s we re d e sig ne d a nd d e ve lo p e d in suc h a wa y tha t the y a re in
a lig nme nt a nd in c o nfo rmity with the re le va nt inte rna tio na l sta nd a rd s.
The le ve l o f a wa re ne ss a nd a d va nc e me nts with re sp e c t to sta nd a rd s d e ve lo p me nt
a c tivitie s in Ma la ysia c a n b e c o nsid e re d a s lo w. Ho we ve r, MTIB ha s ta ke n se ve ra l
me a sure s to e d uc a te the ind ustry o n the imp o rta nc e a nd re le va nc e o f
sta nd a rd iza tio n a c tivitie s.
ANNEX I
THE TABI & RPC SC HEMES
Type - Aprro ve d Ba tc h Inspe c tio n (TABI) Sc he m e
Insp e c tio n is und e rta ke n a s the p ro d uc ts re a c h the p o rt o f e ntry in Ta iwa n, o r b e fo re the
p ro d uc ts a re to b e re le a se d fro m the ma nufa c turing p re mise s in Ta iwa n.
Ma nufa c ture rs o r imp o rte rs sha ll ha ve the ir p ro d uc ts typ e -te ste d b y the BSMI o r
d e sig na te d te sting la b o ra to rie s re c o g nize d b y the BSMI, a nd the n file a n a p p lic a tio n fo r
typ e a p p ro va l with the BSMI, in Ta ip e i o r a t b ra nc h o ffic e s, d e p e nd ing o n whe re the
ma nufa c ture r o r imp o rte r is lo c a te d .
Afte r ma nufa c ture rs o r imp o rte rs ha ve o b ta ine d a typ e -a p p ro va l c e rtific a te , the y a re
re q uire d to file a n a p p lic a tio n fo r insp e c tio n with the BSMI e a c h time b e fo re the ir
p ro d uc ts a re to b e re le a se d fro m the p ro d uc tio n p re mise s o r a rrive a t the p o rt o f e ntry.
The BSMI will the n re vie w the a p p lic a tio n a nd a c c o mp a nying d o c ume nts a c c o rd ing to
the simp lifie d p ro c e d ure s. Ad d itio na l sa mp le s ma y b e re q uire d fo r furthe r te sting if it is
d e e me d ne c e ssa ry. Fig ure 1 illustra te s the p ro c e ss und e r TABI Sc he me . The fe e s fo r typ e te sting va ry b y p ro d uc t a nd d e p e nd o n the te sting la b o ra to rie s. The fe e fo r a typ e
a p p ro va l is NT$3,500 (a p p ro x. RM 350) it is va lid fo r thre e ye a rs.
Fig ure 1. FLO W C HART O F TABI SC HEME
• Product
sample
• Technical
document
TYPE TEST TYPE-TEST
REPORT
TYPE APPROVAL
TYPE APPROVAL
BATCH INSPECTION as the products reached Taiwan port or each time before the products are to be
Re g istra tio n o f Pro duc t C e rtific a tio n (RPC ) Sc he m e
Und e r this sc he me , e xp o rte rs, ma nufa c ture rs, o r imp o rte rs a re re q uire d to e nsure tha t a ll
p ro d uc ts ma d e a t the ir ma nufa c turing fa c ilitie s a re in c o nfo rmity with the p ro to typ e s
sub mitte d fo r typ e te sting in Mo d ule II, ie the a p p lic a nt must ha ve the ir p ro d uc ts typ e
-te s-te d b y the BSMI o r d e sig na -te d -te sting la b o ra to rie s re c o g nise d b y the BSMI.
Ma nufa c ture rs ma y a lso ne e d to e sta b lish a q ua lity syste m c o mp lying with the
re q uire me nts o f ISO 9001 a nd o b ta in ISO 9001 c e rtific a te s fro m the BSMI o r c e rtific a tio n
b o d ie s re c o g nize d b y the BSMI.
Pro d uc ts will b e a llo we d to use the C o mmo d ity Insp e c tio n Ma rk, the le tte r “ R” a nd the
id e ntific a tio n numb e r g ive n b y the BSMI, a fte r the y a re c e rtifie d a nd re g iste re d with the
BSMI. The se p ro d uc ts c a n the n p a ss thro ug h c usto ms d ire c tly witho ut a ny furthe r
insp e c tio n. The RPC Sc he me is illustra te d in Fig ure 2. The a p p lic a tio n fe e a nd a nnua l fe e
fo r RPC is NT$5,000 (a p p ro x. RM 500) fo r e a c h typ e o f p ro d uc t, it is va lid fo r thre e ye a rs.
Fig ure 2. FLO W C HART O F RPC SC HEME
• Product
sample
• Technical
document
TYPE TEST TYPE-TEST
REPORT
ISO 9001 Certificate
or Factory Inspection Report
REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE Products can pass through customs directly without any
