Mapping Malaysia's Resource Centres

168 MAPPING MALAYSIA’S RESOURCE CENTRES JABATAN STANDARD MALAYSIA (STANDARDS MALAYSIA) Introduction Governed by the Standards of Malaysia Act 1996 (Act 549), the Department of Standards Malaysia (Standards Malaysia) is an agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). It is the National Standards and Accreditation Body responsible for developing and promoting Malaysian Standards (MS) by providing accreditation services to conformity assessment bodies such as testing laboratories, certification and inspection bodies. Established in 1996, the focus of their services is to develop the local industry, facilitate trade and drive the country’s economic growth through standardisation and accreditation activities. Besides this, with a vision to be recognised by the world, Standards Malaysia endeavours to provide world-class accreditation services internationally. With the recent amendment to the 1996 Act, Standards Malaysia is not only able to extend its services overseas, but also enforce authority. This enables it to introduce Malaysia to the world under the Malaysian-accreditation logo. Area of Expertise Being the national accreditation body, Standards Malaysia provides confidence to stakeholders through credible standardisation and accreditation services for global competitiveness. As a purpose-driven institution, Standards Malaysia is strongly committed to deliver quality, safety, reliability, efficiency, compatibility, cost-effectiveness and sustainability in bringing product and service solutions across 25 sectors of the economy. With a motive to help businesses improve efficiencies, reduce waste and enhance quality for greater marketability of products and services, Standards Malaysia aims to enhance the quality of Malaysian products and services both locally and internationally. Strengths and Achievements Having been in the industry for over 20 years, the strengths and achievements of Standards Malaysia have been considerable. To date, they have developed more than 5,000 Malaysian Standards across 25 sectors. In addition to this, they have accredited more than 900 labs and certified 43 bodies with 14 inspection centers across the country. Furthermore, in 2000, Standards Malaysia developed the first halal standard in the world, MS 1500:2009 - Halal Food - Production, Preparation, Handling and Storage – General Guidelines. This is currently being used by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) for Halal Certification. Projects Undertaken (Domestic) In striving to develop industry competiveness towards enhanced economic growth, Standards Malaysia undertook a major initiative by introducing the National Standards Compliance Programme (NSCP). The programme aims to bridge all initiatives and information on standards compliance in Malaysia, thereby gaining a competitive edge through the creation of quality-conscious industries delivering quality products and services. S T A N D A R D , C E R T I F I C A T I O N A N D A C C R E D I T A T I O N