Supplement Advertising and the KKLIU Advertising Permit (Malaysia)

In Malaysia, whether a supplement "can be sold" and whether it "can be advertised" are two separate things. A product obtaining NPRA's MAL registration only means its quality, safety and efficacy have passed the Drug Control Authority (DCA); to promote it to the general public, you must additionally apply to the Ministry of Health's Medicine Advertisements Board (MAB; Malay: Lembaga Iklan Ubat, LIU) for advertising approval, and only after obtaining the KKLIU advertising permit may you publish or broadcast it. Advertising without a KKLIU is illegal even if the product itself is legal.

What KKLIU is, and where the legal basis lies

KKLIU stands for Kelulusan Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia Untuk Iklan Ubat (Malaysian Ministry of Health approval for medicine advertisements). The legal basis of the system is the Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1956 (Act 290, revised 1983); the review is carried out by the Medicine Advertisements Board (MAB), set up under the Ministry of Health's Pharmaceutical Services Division.

Scope: supplements, over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, traditional medicines and the like already registered with the DCA — as long as they are advertised to the public, they need to obtain MAB approval first. The key concept: registration ≠ permission to advertise; the two are separate reviews.

Absolutely off-limits: statutorily prohibited disease claims

Section 3 of the Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1956 lists a schedule of diseases, and no product may claim to the public that it can prevent, treat or diagnose these diseases; MAB will not approve such advertisements. The diseases covered by the schedule include:

• Kidney diseases and defects
• Heart diseases and defects
• Diabetes
• Cancer
• Hypertension
• Epilepsy, paralysis, tuberculosis
• Enhancement of sexual function, etc.

If a supplement ad implies "lowers blood sugar," "anti-cancer," "treats hypertension," "boosts virility" and so on, it hits this red line directly. Claims should stay within the range of maintaining health / nutritional supplementation, bounded by the product's actual registered use.

KKLIU number: must be displayed after approval

Once approved, MAB issues a KKLIU number in the format KKLIU + a 4-digit serial number + year, for example KKLIU 0213/2013. Practical requirements:

• Every approved advertisement (every page) must clearly display the KKLIU number.
• The advertisement must also state the name, contact phone number and address of the advertiser / promoter.
• The public can use this to identify whether an advertisement has been approved; if an ad lacks a KKLIU number, they can report it to the Ministry of Health.

Secretariat contact: phone 03-7841 3200, email liu@moh.gov.my. The validity period of the approval, the submission format and required documents are subject to the current MAB notice (rules may be adjusted across versions).

Penalties for violations

Under the Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1956, an illegal advertisement, upon conviction:

In other words, the cost of "list and advertise first, deal with it if caught" is not low, especially since brand accounts, e-commerce pages, and KOL sponsored content may all be treated as advertising.

Practical process and common mistakes

1. First confirm the product is registered (has a MAL number); unregistered products cannot apply for advertising approval.
2. Prepare the advertising materials and submit to MAB for review (copy, images, video scripts, etc.).
3. Check the claims for whether they fall into the Section 3 prohibited diseases, or exceed the registered use.
4. Obtain the KKLIU number before publishing, and display the number and advertiser information in every advertisement.
5. If materials change (new version, new platform), you generally need to re-confirm the scope of approval; do not reuse an old KKLIU number on new content.

Common pitfalls: casually mentioning therapeutic effects in social posts / livestreams, using user testimonials as proof of efficacy, exaggerating beyond the intended use, or putting a single old number on a whole series of ads. In addition, directly moving an overseas advertisement that has not been approved onto a Malaysian platform likewise is not protected by an existing KKLIU, and must still be re-submitted for local review.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q: The product already has MAL registration — do I still need to apply separately for advertising approval? Yes. Registration by the DCA governs quality, safety and efficacy; advertising is governed by MAB; the two are separate. To promote to the public you must first obtain a KKLIU.

Q: What content counts as an "advertisement"? Do social posts and sponsored content count? Any content that promotes to the public and encourages use of the product generally falls within the scope of advertising — including websites, e-commerce pages, social posts, livestreams, and KOL sponsored content. To be safe, always obtain approval first.

Q: What are the claims most likely to break the law in supplement advertising? The disease claims prohibited under Section 3 — lowering blood sugar, anti-cancer, treating hypertension, boosting virility, treating kidney / heart disease, and so on. These may not be claimed to the public whether or not you hold a KKLIU.

Q: Does the KKLIU number have to appear in the advertisement? Yes. Every approved advertisement must clearly display the KKLIU number, and state the advertiser's name, phone and address; a missing number can be reported.

Q: What happens if I advertise without applying? You can be held liable under the Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1956: first offence a fine up to RM3,000 or imprisonment up to 1 year, repeat offence up to RM5,000 or imprisonment up to 2 years.

Self-check checklist

• [ ] Product has completed NPRA / DCA registration (has a MAL number)
• [ ] Advertising copy does not touch the Section 3 prohibited disease claims
• [ ] Claims do not exceed the product's actual registered use
• [ ] Applied to MAB and obtained a KKLIU number
• [ ] Every advertisement displays the KKLIU number + advertiser name / phone / address
• [ ] New materials / new platforms confirmed to be within the approved scope

Summary

To advertise a supplement in Malaysia, first pass MAB to get a KKLIU, then publish, and display the number in every advertisement; claims must avoid the disease list in Section 3 of the Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1956. Planning "registration" and "advertising approval" separately helps avoid the most common and most damaging penalties.

Run a free label check now

Further reading: Malaysia Health Supplement MAL Registration Guide, How to Write Compliant Efficacy Claims for Supplements.

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