KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is intensifying efforts to strengthen standards and accreditation as strategic tools to boost economic competitiveness, build industry confidence and expand access to international markets, the Department of Standards Malaysia (JSM) said.
JSM, an agency under the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), serves as Malaysia’s national standards and accreditation body.
MITI secretary-general Datuk Hairil Yahri Yaacob, who delivered a speech on behalf of Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, said standards and accreditation should be viewed as more than just regulatory compliance requirements.
Instead, he said they should be recognised as strategic economic assets that strengthen business confidence, facilitate market access and enhance Malaysia’s position in global value chains.
He was speaking at the Standards and Accreditation Summit 2026 held here yesterday.
Hairil also highlighted the need for Malaysia to play a stronger role in developing international standards, particularly as industries rapidly embrace artificial intelligence, digitalisation, sustainability and cybersecurity amid evolving global supply chain demands.
Johari said sustained engagement between MITI, JSM, industry stakeholders and the international standards community would help Malaysia better anticipate emerging market requirements.
He added that such collaboration would strengthen industrial preparedness and enable the country to contribute more actively to the development of standards influencing global trade and industrial practices.
Meanwhile, JSM said the summit underscored the importance of Malaysia’s quality infrastructure as a foundation for economic growth, innovation, market confidence and international competitiveness, rather than an end in itself.
“As Malaysia transitions towards a more technology-driven and sustainable economy that is increasingly integrated with global markets, standards and accreditation will remain fundamental to building quality, trust and competitiveness,” the department said in a statement.
-AWANI
