Malaysia is set to expand the authority of its Health director-general under proposed amendments to the Food Act 1983, aimed at strengthening food safety measures amid evolving public health challenges. The Food (Amendment) Bill 2026, tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on October 8, seeks to grant the director-general new powers to publish convictions and information about food non-compliance without requiring a court order.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad explained that the changes would allow publication of convictions under the Act in print or electronic media to enhance transparency and public awareness. Additionally, information about food found to be harmful or failing to meet regulatory standards can also be disclosed to safeguard consumers. The amendments would further empower the director-general to close food-related premises that pose health risks.
Dr Dzulkefly noted that the Food Act 1983 (Act 281) has only been amended three times since its inception, with prior updates in 2001, 2006, and 2024 focusing on enforcement alignment and public health matters such as smoking regulations. He indicated that the existing provisions are increasingly inadequate to address contemporary food safety issues, including pesticide and antibiotic residues, misuse of food additives, and emerging contaminants and pathogens influenced by climate change.
Citing World Health Organization data, the minister highlighted the global scale of foodborne illness, noting that contaminated food causes an estimated 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths worldwide annually.
The Bill also introduces controls over food contact materials, permits field verification inspections of foreign food production facilities in consultation with exporting countries, and tightens regulations on imported food declared for personal use but intended for sale. Furthermore, the legislation would allow the government to recover costs related to enforcement from responsible parties, including owners and agents of implicated premises.
The amendments clarify the Health Minister’s authority to regulate fees associated with the Food Safety Assurance Programme certification. Regulatory violations under the Act would be subject to penalties of up to 25,000 ringgit, imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
Dr Dzulkefly reported that the Cabinet gave in-principle approval to the amendments on March 19, 2025, with formal approval granted on July 22, 2026. The government conducted public consultations between December 2024 and January 2025, and sought input from World Trade Organization members from December 2025 through February 2026 as part of the legislative process.