Malaysia Food Safety Bill Clears Dewan Rakyat With Wider Powers Over Online Sales
The bill proposes wider access to digital records, public disclosure of non-compliant food and stronger action against hazardous food-contact materials.
Malaysia's Dewan Rakyat passed the Food (Amendment) Bill 2026 on Oct. 8, advancing a broad overhaul of food-safety controls that would strengthen action against unsafe products, extend oversight of online sales and increase penalties for specified offences.
The lower house approved the measure by a majority voice vote after its third reading, The Edge reported. Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said enforcement would be phased, beginning with education and compliance. Passage in the Dewan Rakyat does not establish that every proposed provision is already in force.
The changes cover the Food Act 1983, which has undergone narrower amendments but, according to the minister, has not previously received a comprehensive review. The bill links powers over physical premises with the records and advertising that support digital sales.
More Information and Faster Intervention
When tabling the 39-clause bill earlier that day, Dzulkefly said it would allow the director-general of health to publish information about non-compliant food without waiting for a court order, Bernama reported. Disclosure could take place through print or electronic media in the public interest.
The proposed changes also provide for publishing convictions and expand officers' access to recorded, computerized and digital information during investigations. Officers would be able to seek information about food advertising and inspect relevant documents and records.
Another provision addresses imported food: quantities above prescribed limits would be treated as intended for sale unless proven otherwise. Overseas food facilities could be verified on site following consultation with the exporting country.
These measures would widen the information available to enforcement officers. They also make traceability a central issue: an online advertisement can reach consumers even when the seller's physical premises are difficult to identify.
Food-Contact Materials and Closure Orders
The bill would make preparing or selling harmful food-contact materials subject to penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a RM500,000 fine, The Edge reported. The measures concern materials containing, or capable of transferring, poisonous or hazardous substances.
Bernama's account of the tabling said operators would be required to recall or withdraw food-contact materials when they knew, or had reason to believe, the products breached the act. This extends the safety focus beyond the food itself to materials that can affect it.
The Edge also reported a proposed power to close harmful food-producing premises for up to 40 days. Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng called for expedited appeals and prompt reinspection, arguing that rent and wage costs continue during closure.
Dzulkefly responded that closure decisions would rely on laboratory analysis and enable thorough investigations. Premises could be allowed to reopen after prohibited substances were removed. The exchange highlights the practical balance between immediate protection and a workable route back to compliance.
Online Sales and Risk-Based Enforcement
In his winding-up remarks, the minister said 23,553 requests to block social-media accounts and e-commerce platforms had been submitted from 2023 through September 2026, Bernama reported. That is a count of requests, not a verified count of completed blocks or individual food-safety convictions.
He also cited pesticide-residue non-compliance in vegetables rising from 9% in 2023 to 14.1% in January-June 2026. Those monitoring figures should not be interpreted as proving that the same proportion of all vegetables sold nationwide was unsafe.
The ministry plans a risk-based approach: advice and education for minor technical breaches, with serious or persistent offences taken to court. A separate penalty of up to RM25,000, five years in prison or both applies to offences under regulations made pursuant to the act, rather than every food-related violation.
Dzulkefly promised a grace period and phased educational enforcement during transition. For businesses and consumers, the next practical milestone is the confirmation of effective dates and implementation requirements for the amended framework.
