MOF: Govt to tighten oversight of building material imports

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 12): The Malaysian government is set to strengthen oversight of imported building materials that do not meet safety standards as it seeks to protect consumers and ensure fairness for local businesses.

In a press statement from the Ministry of Finance, Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong said the measures would include tighter import controls, compliance inspections and enforcement against parties found breaching regulations.

“Every product marketed in Malaysia must meet the prescribed safety and quality standards. This is important to protect the interests of the public, ensure fair competition and prevent compliant parties from being faced with unfair competition resulting from irresponsible trade practices,” said Liew.

The MOF said the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), as the regulator for the construction industry, has been tasked to tighten import requirements, inspections and enforcement action to enhance the monitoring of building material standards.

It said the issue was discussed during a consultation session with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and Malaysia Glass Association (MGA) on July 27, which focused on the import of building materials that fail to meet prescribed standards and the challenges being faced by industry players, according to the statement.

It added that enforcement against non-compliant products is not only from a safety standpoint but also to prevent businesses that comply with regulators from being placed at a disadvantage by competitors that are non-compliant.

“The Ministry of Finance will continue to work closely with ministries, agencies and industry players to strengthen the nation's regulatory system, thereby ensuring sustainable economic growth, protecting the interests and safety of the people, and strengthening the competitiveness of local enterprises,” said the ministry.

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