SIRIM QAS SDN BHD

The one stop provider of certification, inspection and testing services

By Leong Swee Keng

Marketing & Business Development Unit

SIRIM QAS Sdn Bhd

SIRIM QAS Sdn. Bhd. was established in March 1997 as a wholly owned subsidiary of SIRIM Berhad after the corporatisation of the latter at the end of 1996.  The company took over the certification, inspection and testing activities that were previously carried out by SIRIM Berhad. As the leading certification, inspection and testing body in Malaysia, SIRIM QAS Sdn. Bhd. has gained wide recognition nationally and internationally.  It provides a very comprehensive range of certification, inspection and testing services that conform to national and international standards and guides.

Scope of services

The certification activities of SIRIM QAS include Product Certification, Quality Management Systems Certification, Forest Management Systems Certification, Chain of Custody Certification, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Certification, Electromagnetic Compatibility Certification and Certification of  Communication Equipment.

SIRIM QAS Sdn Bhd provides testing services covering chemical, mechanical, communication equipment, electrotechnical, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), construction and building materials and fire engineering. The testing services complement the certification schemes thus providing a total solution to the public and private sectors.

Acknowledged as a regional leader in inspection services, SIRIM QAS has established and maintained close linkages with several foreign certification bodies through the signing of specific agreements.  Under these agreements, SIRIM QAS provides inspection services on behalf of the following certification bodies: CSA International (Canada), VDE Testing & Certification Institute (Germany) KEMA Registered Quality B.V. (Netherlands), Japan Quality Assurance Organization, JQA (Japan), Japan Electrical Safety and Environment

Technology Laboratories, JET (Japan), China Quality Certification Center for Import & Export Commodities, CQC (China), SEMKO AB (Sweden), and FIMKO Ltd. (Finland), NSAI (Ireland), Laboratoire Central Des Industries Electriques LCIE, (France), ASTA (UK), Bureau Veritas NZ (New Zealand) and others.

In addition, SIRIM QAS provides regulatory inspection, ad-hoc quality auditing and inspection and pre-shipment inspection. These types of services aim to assist the local manufacturers to overcome technical barriers, minimise their time and cost through the simplification of procedures for foreign certification as well as provide advice pertaining to the application of such certifications.

Accreditation

In principle, accreditation provides confidence in the credibility and competence of SIRIM QAS as a provider of certification, inspection and testing services. The certification, inspection and testing services of SIRIM QAS comply with national and international standards and guides like ISO IEC Guides 62, 65, 66 and ISO IEC 17020.  SIRIM QAS has been accredited for ISO 9000, QS 9000 and ISO 14001 by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), an UK National Accreditation Body.

The company is also accredited for ISO 9000 and ISO 14001 by the Department of Standards Malaysia (DSM), the Malaysian National Accreditation Body. The Department of Standards Malaysia (DSM) accredits the testing laboratories to ISO IEC 17025 under the Malaysian Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (SAMM). Currently, four of the seven testing laboratories are also accredited to ISO IEC 17025 while the remaining three are in the process of gaining accreditation.

The Electrotechnical Testing Laboratory is in the final stages of gaining acceptance into the IEC-EE CB Scheme as the Certification Body Testing Laboratory (CBTL) and this will complement the Product Certification Unit of SIRIM QAS which is also gaining acceptance as the National Certification Body (NCB) in the IEC-EE CB Scheme. Therefore, all these accreditation demonstrate the impartiality of the organisational arrangements, competence of staff and the effectiveness of the management system of SIRIM QAS.

SIRIM QAS, THE MARKET LEADER

As the market leader in Malaysia, SIRIM QAS provides quality services at very competitive rates and is backed by its long service record of being in the certification, inspection and testing business for over 25 years.  SIRIM QAS is well supported by a large pool of technically competent and experienced professionals. With a total of about 60 lead auditors/auditors, mostly full-time auditors, they can provide auditing services covering a wide range of economic activities.  A large majority of these professionals are also trained to be multi-skilled thus are competent to carry out integrated schemes for example an ISO 9000/ISO 14001/OHSAS 18001 joint audit.

Likewise, the tests are conducted to national and international standards using up-to-date testing facilities operated by highly competent staff.  As a company fully owned by the Malaysian government, SIRIM QAS fulfils its role in assisting not only the Malaysian industries in enhancing their quality and competitiveness in the global marketplace but also the regulatory authorities in enforcing regulations relating to public health and safety and the preservation of the environment.

In this respect, the Malaysian regulatory bodies have imposed mandatory certifications and testing for several products like household appliances, motorcyclist helmets, motor vehicle seat belts, fire extinguishers, fire resistant door set and specific communication equipment. Therefore, the Product Certification Marks (MS and S Mark) and Communication Equipment Certification Mark (CM

Mark) are used in the mandatory certification to denote that the products meet the requirements of specific standards and certification requirements.

Apart from the mandatory certification mentioned above, the certification, inspection and testing services are generally voluntary in nature. Nevertheless, these activities are widely accepted and recognised by customers not only in Malaysia but overseas as a means of providing third party assurance of quality, reliability and safety and effectively instilling confidence without the need for additional testing and further proof.

The extensive customer base of SIRIM QAS Sdn. Bhd. attests to the full confidence of the customers in SIRIM QAS as a solution provider of its wide range of services and facilities.  SIRIM QAS’s customers include both local as well as international companies, foreign certification and inspection bodies, regulatory authorities and they come from as far as China, Australia, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines.

With its excellent track record, SIRIM QAS Sdn. Bhd. has been appointed to provide assistance in the setting up of management systems and testing facilities by a number of ASEAN and Middle Eastern countries.  It is beyond doubt that this kind of appointment attests to the clients’ confidence in SIRIM QAS’s competence and experience in the fields of certification, inspection and testing.  Indeed, SIRIM QAS Sdn. Bhd. is committed and will continue to provide excellent services in these areas for quality and safety enhancement as well as trade facilitation.