The 34 Categories of Regulated Electrical Equipment: Is Your Product Covered? (Malaysia)

Whether a piece of electrical equipment needs certification comes down to one question: does your product fall within the list of regulated electrical equipment gazetted by Malaysia's Energy Commission (Suruhanjaya Tenaga, or ST)? That list currently holds about 34 categories, set under the Electricity Supply Act 1990 and the Electricity Regulations 1994. Any equipment on the list may not be manufactured, imported, displayed, sold or advertised without a Certificate of Approval (COA) issued by the Energy Commission and an ST-SIRIM safety label. So the first step is never to rush into testing, but to first confirm "am I regulated?"

Who regulates, and what: the system in one minute

• Regulator: the Energy Commission (ST) issues the COA; the actual testing and labelling are carried out by SIRIM QAS / SIRIM Berhad, which is why the industry commonly calls it "ST-SIRIM certification."
• Legal basis: the Electricity Supply Act 1990 and the Electricity Regulations 1994 (PU(A) 38/94), whose Regulation 97 authorises the gazetting of regulated electrical equipment and its applicable standards. Most technical standards adopt the Malaysian version of IEC international standards (MS IEC).
• Scope: mainly general household and commercial low-voltage equipment (typically products with a rated voltage not exceeding 1000V AC), covering items used by plugging directly into the mains that pose a shock or fire risk to users.

What products the 34 categories cover

The list is set out by "product category," and the common ones fall into four broad groups:

A key point: the list is determined by item name, not "anything that plugs in needs certification." Some electronic products (for example, purely IT-type or low-risk battery-powered devices) may not be within the 34 categories, but if they also have wireless functions they separately fall under the jurisdiction of MCMC type approval. The suggested order of judgment is: first match your item name against the ST list, then check whether it contains a wireless / telecom module. For the full steps of certification and labelling, see the ST-SIRIM electrical certification guide and the COA application process.

The practical process: from determination to labelling

1. Determine whether you're regulated: check against the Energy Commission's gazetted list of regulated electrical equipment and the applicable MS / IEC standards; if in doubt, consult ST or SIRIM directly rather than guessing.
2. Choose a certification scheme: two are common — the Product Certification Scheme (PCS, suited to long-term mass production and repeat shipments) and the Batch Testing Scheme (BTS, suited to single-batch, small-volume imports).
3. Safety testing: complete testing to the corresponding standards, with circuit diagrams, parts lists, specifications, PCB photos and samples ready.
4. Apply for the COA: submitted to ST by a local company (manufacturer / importer / authorised representative); once approved you obtain the COA, generally valid for 12 months, with renewal to watch for.
5. Affix the ST-SIRIM label: the label must carry the applicant's name, the certification number and the wording "SIRIM-ST Label Licensing Programme."

Common mistakes

• Labelling only the outer carton: current rules require the safety label to be affixed to the product itself; labelling only the box may result in detention at customs.
• Assuming "having CE exempts you from testing": overseas CE / UL reports can serve as supporting evidence, but cannot replace Malaysia's COA and labelling.
• Overlooking that advertising is also regulated: "listing for sale" on e-commerce or social media without a COA is equally a violation — it doesn't only count once you actually ship.
• Confusing ST with MCMC: pure electrical products go through ST; products with Bluetooth / Wi-Fi must additionally pass MCMC type approval, and the two cannot substitute for each other.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q: My product isn't in the 34 categories — do I still need a COA? Equipment not on the regulated list generally does not need ST's COA; however, it must still comply with general consumer-product safety and labelling requirements, and if it contains wireless functions it falls additionally under MCMC. When you can't confirm this yourself, it's advisable to obtain written confirmation from the Energy Commission or SIRIM.

Q: How long is a COA valid? Does it need renewing? The certificate is generally valid for 12 months and must be renewed before expiry; changes to the model or key components may also require a fresh application.

Q: Must the safety label be affixed to the product itself? Yes. Current requirements are that the ST-SIRIM label be affixed to the product body; labelling only the retail carton is no longer accepted, and goods may otherwise be held during customs clearance.

Q: How do I choose between the PCS and BTS schemes? For long-term, repeat shipments or own-brand mass production, the Product Certification Scheme (PCS) is more efficient; for one-off, small-volume imports, the Batch Testing Scheme (BTS) can be used.

Q: Who applies — the importer or the manufacturer? The application must be made by a Malaysian local legal entity, usually the importer or the manufacturer's authorised representative in Malaysia; without local legal-entity status you cannot apply directly.

Self-check list

• [ ] Checked against the Energy Commission's list of regulated electrical equipment to confirm whether the item falls within the 34 categories
• [ ] Confirmed whether the product additionally contains wireless / telecom functions (requires MCMC in parallel)
• [ ] Prepared circuit diagrams, parts lists, specifications, PCB photos and samples
• [ ] Selected the PCS or BTS scheme and arranged testing to the corresponding MS / IEC standards
• [ ] COA application submitted by a local legal entity, with renewal planned for the 12-month validity
• [ ] ST-SIRIM label affixed to the product body (not only the carton)

Summary

The compliance logic for regulated electrical equipment is clear: first determine whether it's within the 34 categories, then proceed to COA testing and ST-SIRIM labelling. Get the determination wrong and everything after is wasted; get it right and the process is actually standardised. Rather than discovering after testing that you weren't regulated (or that you missed a wireless module), it's better to check the list and standards thoroughly at the product-selection stage.

Run a free label check now

This article is compiled from official sources and is for reference only; actual compliance is subject to the latest official text and review by the competent authority.