All power banks sold in Malaysia must go through SIRIM certification starting from 2018. This comes as the government attempts to regulate the sale of cheap and potentially dangerous power banks from entering the Malaysian market.
Owning a power bank is almost a norm these days for smartphone owners in Malaysia. With most smartphones today struggling to last a full day – not to mention power-intensive apps like Pokemon Go remaining popular among Malaysians, a power bank is an affordable and handy alternative to buying a flagship phone.
Thanks to Xiaomi, these accessories have become a lot more affordable than ever. But, while Xiaomi’s power banks come with a nine-step safety measure built in, many from smaller Chinese companies do not include such features. This is the main cause behind short circuits and worse, explosions while the power bank is being used.
To curb this, the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism will require all power banks sold in Malaysia to go through SIRIM certification. Once these power banks have obtained certification, the brands would need to apply for an approval letter from the ministry before they can go on sale.
Power banks approved by SIRIM will have the official logo printed on them for easy recognition.
This move will only go into effect next year, as the ministry has yet to draw up an official guideline for this. However, the ministry has already set up a special committee for this matter before they are gazetted next year.
(Source: Berita Harian)
