New battery regulations ready by mid-2026
KUALA LUMPUR: New safety regulations covering secondary batteries, including those commonly used in power banks, are expected to be gazetted and enforced by mid-2026.
The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) deputy minister, Fuziah Salleh, said a draft regulation on safety standards for rechargeable (secondary) batteries had been developed following a series of engagement sessions with industry players and consumer groups since mid-2024.
"Since mid-2024, the ministry has conducted engagement sessions with key stakeholders, particularly industry players and consumer non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
"Based on the feedback received, the ministry has developed an initial draft regulation concerning the safety of secondary batteries. We expect to gazette and enforce the regulation by mid-2026," she said.
Fuziah said the regulation reflects the government's ongoing efforts to safeguard consumer rights.
"This compliance is not only a continued commitment by the government to protect the rights and safety of consumers, but will also, indirectly, strengthen the national battery enforcement ecosystem," she told the New Straits Times.
Fuziah added that the ministry had also introduced the Guidelines for Compliance with Secondary Battery Safety Standards on Feb 1, 2018.
She said the seven-year voluntary implementation period had given the industry ample time to adapt.
Primary batteries — those that cannot be recharged — have already been subject to mandatory safety standards since Sept 1, 2014, under the Consumer Protection (Safety Standards for Primary Batteries) Regulations.
Fuziah said these regulations require manufacturers, suppliers and importers to carry out testing at accredited laboratories, recognised either by the Department of Standards Malaysia (JSM) or by internationally recognised accreditation bodies abroad.
"All certified primary batteries must bear the Malaysian Conformity (MC) safety mark before entering the local market, facilitating enforcement and helping consumers verify the safety status of the product."
Amid the circulation of a viral video reportedly showing a power bank explosion, Sirim revealed to the NST on May 25 that power banks sold in Malaysia are not currently subject to mandatory safety inspections.
The government-owned industrial research and technology body said KPDN has yet to gazette power banks as products requiring Sirim certification.
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