Accreditation schemes (VOLUNTARY) offered by Department of Standards Malaysia are open to any laboratory, certification bodies, inspection body and proficiency testing provider irrespective of its application (private, government or in-house).

Accreditation Schemes offered by JSM are:

1. Laboratory Accreditation Scheme of Malaysia (SAMM)
2. Accreditation of Certification Bodies (ACB) Scheme
3. Malaysia Inspection Bodies Accreditation Scheme (MIBAS)
4. Malaysia Proficiency Testing Providers Accreditation Scheme (MyPTP)
5. Good Laboratory Practice Compliance Program (GLP CP)
6. Validation & Verification Accreditation Scheme (V&V)
7. Primary Healthcare Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (PHLAS)

Flowchart Accreditation Process

Laboratory accreditation based on ISO/IEC 17025 (formerly ISO/IEC Guide 25) was first introduced in Malaysia on 1 July 1987. This was followed by the introduction on 15 August 1990 of a national unified laboratory accreditation scheme, known as Skim Akreditasi Makmal Malaysia (SAMM). The SAMM scheme was initially administered by SAMM National Council that currently come under the authority of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI).

Following the establishment of the Department of Standards Malaysia (Standards Malaysia) on 28 August 1996 under the Standards of Malaysia Act, 1996, all accreditation activities of the former Malaysia Accreditation Council were transferred to and come directly under the responsibility of Standards Malaysia. The laboratory accreditation scheme, however, retains its original name Skim Akreditasi Makmal Malaysia  (SAMM).

The primary objective of SAMM is to provide a credible accreditation service to testing and calibration laboratories including medical testing laboratories such that ultimately SAMM endorsed test reports and calibration certificates are accepted internationally. The accepted mechanism for recognition is by means of the Mutual Recognition Arrangements framework of the International Laboratory Accreditation Co-operation (ILAC) and the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC).
 

Scope of Activities

SAMM is a unified national laboratory accreditation scheme and is multi-disciplinary in its scope of accreditation activities. It covers both calibration and testing including medical testing.

Reference to SAMM Accreditation

Accredited laboratories may use Accreditation Symbol and combined ILAC MRA Mark or make reference to SAMM accreditation.
 

Operations

Standards Malaysia is staffed by full-time technical officers and supporting staff to carry out daily operations. It is operated in accordance with ISO/IEC 17011.

Accreditation Criteria

General criteria as published in MS ISO/IEC 17025 / MS ISO 15189, SAMM Policies (SP), Specific Criteria (SC), and Specific Technical Requirements (STR) are used in assessments and the accreditation process.

Policy on Cross Frontier Accreditation

It is the policy of Standards Malaysia not to accept any CAB application from abroad. This policy is consistent with the Act 549, Standards of Malaysia Act 1996, clause 10 (2)(h).

Test/Calibration Methods

All existing standard methods from both national and international standard bodies as well as reputable technical organizations are acceptable. Non-standard/in-house methods are also acceptable provide that they are validated and documented.
 

Accreditation Process

Figure 1: Accreditation Processes

Accreditation Certificate

Valid for three (3) years and renewable subject to terms and conditions of the SAMM scheme.

Surveillance and Re-assessment

Standards Malaysia shall schedule assessments of the accredited laboratories according to the following table:

Table 1: First cycle of accreditation

Table 2: Subsequent cycle of accreditation

However, Standards Malaysia reserves the right to revert the cycle of accreditation depending on the performance of the laboratory arising from the results of the assessment.

Laboratory Assessors

Assessors are drawn from technical agencies, such as MRB, MPOB, Chemistry Department, Ministry of Health, universities, and government laboratories. Other competent individuals are also employed as part-time assessors. Assessors are trained by competent training organizations. The criteria for the acceptability of laboratory assessors are prescribed in SAMM documentation.

Proficiency Testing

Accredited laboratories are required to participate in available interlaboratory comparison programs or other forms of comparison testing such as the proficiency testing programs by APAC (Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation).

Appeals Procedure

Appeals procedure which maintained the independence, and impartiality in the process of appeal, has been established for the handling and resolution of any appeal that may arise from the accreditation process.

We endeavour to provide world-call accreditation services with many schemes and compliance programmes and recognition from credible national regulatory bodies.

"As a national accreditation body, we provide credible accreditation services to laboratories, inspection & certification bodies for greater market access and global recognition for technical competence and quality assurance."

We endeavor to provide world-call accreditation services. Most recently, there has been an amendment to the Standards of Malaysia Act 1996 (Act 549), which will allow us to extend our services overseas as well as have enforcement authority. The good news is also that we will be introducing Malaysia to the world with our very own Malaysian-accredited Logo. with many schemes and compliance programs and recognition from credible national regulatory bodies such as the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP), Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara (SPAN), Energy Commission, Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan Malaysia (JPJ), Malaysia Palm Oil Board (MPOB), Malaysia Rubber Board (MRB), Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC). 

The Standards Malaysia accreditation system is in accordance with the international standard,  ISO/IEC 17011 to ensure that the accreditation services provided are impartial, non-discriminatory, and credible. The Standards Malaysia accreditation system is ensured fair and impartial through 3 operational levels i.e.; a) strategy and policy, b) decision and c) assessments.

STANDARDS MALAYSIA ACCREDITATION SCHEMES