Obtaining RF certification in Malaysia begins with ensuring you have all the required documents. But that's not all—the process also involves four stages carried out within the system.
The document requirements for RF certification in Malaysia are arguably more complex than in most other countries. This depends on the stages involved in the system. Any errors made during these stages will cause your application to be halted before it is evaluated.
We'll cover everything you need to know about the document requirements for RF certification in Malaysia and the stages you must go through within the system. You can also watch the full video to ensure there are no mistakes in gathering your documents.
SIRIM Certification Application Pathway
Before learning about the document requirements for RF certification in Malaysia, there is an important consideration: the application pathway. There are two applicable type approval pathways: document evaluation and paperwork.
The most common and highly recommended pathway is document evaluation or paperwork. Most applicants follow this pathway. This means that before submitting an evaluation application, you must already have a test report from an international laboratory.
The local testing pathway in Malaysia is required only for mobile devices. This pathway typically requires four sample units for testing.
List of Document Requirements for RF Certification in Malaysia
The two different pathways have slightly different document requirements. However, essentially, each testing pathway requires the following documents:
- Equipment information and specifications
- Principal and manufacturer information
- Supporting documents (Color brochure, user manual, equipment specification, technical manual, and test reports)
- Pre-quotation
- Trademark registration evidence
- Brand declaration
- Declaration submission tab
All document requirements for RF certification in Malaysia will be submitted through e-ComM, SIRIM's official online portal for submitting certification applications.
Steps in e-ComM
As mentioned earlier, the document submission process involves four steps in the e-ComM system. These steps include laboratory registration, test report registration, trademark/brand declaration, and compliance approval submission.
This step will determine the continuation of your certification application. SIRIM will only evaluate your document requirements for RF certification in Malaysia after this step is completed.
Laboratory registration
When submitting an evaluation request, you must provide a test report from an international or local laboratory. For the test report to be accepted, the laboratory that issued it must be registered in the SIRIM system.
Local laboratories are generally already registered. However, some international laboratories may not yet be registered.
For registered laboratories, you can select them in the system and proceed to the next step. However, for laboratories that are not yet registered, you will need to register them yourself.
When registering a laboratory, the applicant will be asked to fill out an information form and attach the relevant required documents. The information and required documents include:
- Laboratory information
- Supporting documents (specifically, the laboratory's accreditation certificate and its scope)
- Declaration and application form
SIRIM will verify registered laboratories. If they meet the requirements, the laboratory will be registered. However, if they do not meet the requirements, the test report will be invalid, so you will need to retest.
Test report registration
Once you have successfully registered a lab or selected a registered lab, you can proceed to the next step, which is uploading the test results report. At this stage, the validity of the test results and technical compliance will be verified.
A valid test report is one issued no later than five years before the application submission date. If the test report was issued more than five years ago, it will not be accepted.
Additionally, the test results must also meet technical compliance requirements. This includes technical specifications, frequency allocation, and Malaysian requirements (referring to the Technical Code, Class Assignments, Spectrum Plan, or Equipment Assignments).
These two factors are interrelated and determine whether a test report will be accepted. A report from the correct laboratory but with the wrong technical scope will still not be accepted.
Trade mark and brand declaration
The third stage is the trademark and brand declaration. This is the stage most often overlooked by manufacturers, resulting in application delays.
Every SIRIM certification applicant must provide a statement regarding their relationship to the brand to be certified. The following five categories of trademark/brand declaration are available:
- Legally owns the trademark: The applicant submits a registration certificate from MyIPO or an equivalent foreign organization.
- Belongs to the same corporate group as the brand owner: The applicant submits the registration certificate along with proof of the corporate relationship.
- Authorized by the brand owner: The applicant submits a registration certificate and an Intellectual Property Authorization Letter using the SIRIM template.
- The product does not have a brand name: This category applies to modules and cards that include SIRIM approval.
- Not obtaining written approval to use the trademark: The applicant can submit an Intellectual Property Declaration Letter using the SIRIM template.
Compliance approval submission
This is the final step in the process of uploading the required documents for RF certification in Malaysia. This follows the completion of the three steps above via e-ComM.
Next, SIRIM will schedule an evaluation date. Documents that pass the evaluation will be assigned a file number, and the certificate will be processed for issuance. However, if the application is incomplete, the required documents must be resubmitted for re-evaluation.
