Plant, plant products and regulated articles

The Department of Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services (MAQIS) is the Competent Authority under the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011 (Act 728) for the issuance of the Import Permit (IP) for importation of plant, plant products and regulated articles into Peninsular Malaysia and Federal Territory of Labuan. The importation of plants, plant products and regulated articles to Sabah and Sarawak is subjected to import permit under Plant Quarantine Act 1976 (Act 167) and Plant Quarantine Regulation 1981. This import permit is administered by the Department of Agriculture, Sabah and Department of Agriculture, Sarawak respectively.

The Plant Quarantine Act 1976 amends and consolidates the laws relating to the control, prevention and eradication of agricultural pests, noxious plants and plant disease and to extend co-operation in the control of the movement of pests in international trade for matters connected therewith.

The Plant Quarantine Regulations 1981 were made pursuant to Section 23 of the Plant Quarantine Act 1976. It stipulates the requirement which must be met for the entry of plants, growing media, organic fertilizers, soil, living or dead organisms including micro-organism and any hosts of plant pest and/or carrier of plant pests into Malaysia, and at the same time for the prevention of entry of pests of quarantine importance into the country.

Under the MAQIS Act 2011 (Act 728), Plant Quarantine Act 1976 (Act 167) and Plant Quarantine Regulations 1981, an import permit is imposed for the importation of the following:

- plant (except any processed plants; any plant or parts of plant used as packaging or packing materials; and any garbage, dunnage and pallet);
- fresh flowers and leaves, dried flowers and leaves, herbarium;
- fresh betel leaves (All varieties of Piper betel);
- fresh fruits of mangoes (Mangifera spp.), oranges and limes (Citrus spp.), banana (Musa spp.) and mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) durian (Durio zibethinus);
- all species of fresh chillies from the genus Capsicum spp. (Family: Solanaceae);
- all grains and beans;
- cereals and grains imported from countries endemic from Khapra Beetle (Trogoderma granarium);
- all plant-based commodities intended for livestock or animal feed;
- tobacco leaves (Nicotiana tabacum);
- cotton (Gossypium hirsutum);
- growing media or any rooting compost;
- organic fertilizers;
- living or dead organisms including non-pathogenic micro-organisms;
- packing materials originated from jute and bamboo;
- products and plants of Palmae family;
- logs, lumber, and other wood articles; and
- minerals.

Importation of all commodities as listed below for processing or consumption from Thailand only:

- Rose apple (Syzygium samarangense);
- Sweet potato (Ipomea batatas);
- Taro/Dasheen (Colocasia esculenta);
- Groundnuts (Arachis hypogeae);
- Potato (Solanum tuberosum);
- Ubi kemili/Kembili (Coleus parviplorus);
- Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus);
- Bird/Hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens);
- Turmeric (Curcuma domestica);
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale);
- Greater galangal (Alpinia galangal);
- Yambean (Pachyrhizus erosus); and
- Kaffir lime leaves (Citrus hystrix).

No, Act and Regulations to protect the Malaysian agriculture industry and environment from pests, diseases and invasive alien species by controlling or restricting the importation of plants which are host of quarantine pests and disease.

Not applicable.

The MAQIS Act 2011, Plant Quarantine Act 1976 and Plant Quarantine Regulations 1981 apply to imports from all countries, with the exception of countries in the American Tropics and countries endemic to disease of cocoa and/or Palmae family. The provisions under this category of goods are as follows:

The importation of plants and plant products (including those belonging to the species of Hevea) from the American Tropics or from any other country in which the South American Leaf Blight disease of rubber (SALB) is present or believed to be present and from countries endemic to disease of cocoa and plants of Palmae), is prohibited except where:

- importation of plants, plant products and any regulated articles may be allowed for research purposes, consumption, medicinal, processing or manufacturing purposes only on upon completion of a Pest Risk Analysis (PRA).

- such plant/plant products may be subjected to quarantine or treatment at a place approved by the Department of Agriculture i.e. places outside the South East Asia and Pacific Region, American Tropics, African Cocoa Region or any other region or country where the SALB or virus or any other diseases of cocoa and/or plants of Palmae is present or believed to be present and are accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate to that effect and signed by the officer-in-charge of the place of such quarantine treatment.

Note:

"Director" means the Director General of Agriculture for Peninsular Malaysia whose responsibility extends to the Federal Territory of Labuan, the Director of Agriculture for the State of Sabah or the Director of Agriculture for the State of Sarawak, as the case may be.