Malaysia

Malaysia Sugar Tax (Amendment 2024)

Excise duty of MYR 0.90 per litre on all manufactured beverages, including carbonated drinks containing added sugar/other sweeteners and other non-alcoholic beverages classified under HS 2202 with >5 g sugar per 100 ml. The duty also applies to milk-based drinks (under HS 2202) with>7 g sugar per 100ml and fruit or vegetable juices classified under HS 2009 with >12 g sugar per 100 ml. The tax does not apply to unsweetened water. Passed 10 December 2024 and implemented on 1 January 2025.

School Canteens - Nutritious Food Requirement

The Ministry of Health has mandated that school canteens must adhere to nutrition guidelines, and only sell food that meets these requirements on school premises. Meals must not contain processed ingredients or excessive sugar.

Malaysia Sugar Tax (Amendment 2023)

Excise duty of MYR 0.50 per liter on all manufactured beverages, including carbonated drinks containing added sugar/other sweeteners and other non-alcoholic beverages classified under HS 2202 with >5 g sugar per 100 ml. The duty also applies to milk-based drinks (under HS 2202) with>7 g sugar per 100ml and fruit or vegetable juices classified under HS 2009 with >12 g sugar per 100 ml. The tax does not apply to unsweetened water. Passed 22 December 2023 and implemented 1 January 2024.

Strategic Plan to Reduce Sugar Among Malaysians (2024-2030)

National action plan to reduce sugar consumption in Malaysia. Document currently unavailable in English

National Strategic Plan to Combat the Double Burden of Malnutrition Among Malaysian Children (2023-2030)

National action plan to combat the double burden of malnutrition in Malaysian children. It includes plans to improve nutrition and address obesity. Document currently unavailable in English.

The Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Obesity (2nd Edition)

The guidelines covers the assessment, diagnosis, management and prevention of overweight and obesity in adults, children and adolescents. The 2023 guidelines are the second edition of the clinical practice guidelines for the management of obesity. The next edition is due in 2027 or when new evidence becomes available. The guidelines are endorsed by the Malaysian Association for the Study of Obesity and others.

Clinical Guidelines on Obesity in Pregnancy

These guidelines provide recommendations for managing and preventing obesity and associated complications in pregnancy for all primary care physicians and obstetricians.

Malaysia Sugar Tax (Amendment 2022)

Excise duty of MYR 0.47 per 100g on premix drinks with >33.3g per 100g (e.g., coffee, tea and chocolate premixes). Passed 7 September 2022 and implemented 1 November 2022.

Malaysia Dietary Guidelines 2020

The guidelines are aimed at health care providers to assist them in educating the public on improving their health through sound dietary practices. It is also intended to act as a tool for promoting healthy eating and achieving the National Plan of Action for Nutrition of Malaysia.

Malaysia Sugar Tax

Excise duty of MYR 0.40 per liter on all manufactured beverages, including carbonated drinks containing added sugar/other sweeteners and other non-alcoholic beverages classified under HS 2202 with >5 g sugar per 100 ml. The duty also applies to milk-based drinks (under HS 2202) with>7 g sugar per 100ml and fruit or vegetable juices classified under HS 2009 with >12 g sugar per 100 ml. The tax does not apply to unsweetened water.

National Nutrition Policy of Malaysia (NPPM) 2.0

The NPPM was first approved in 2003, and revised and strengthened in 2019. It aims to improve the nutritional status of Malaysians and reduce diet-related NCDs, with a focus on addressing the double burden of malnutrition and enhancing multi-sectoral collaboration. A series of National Plans of Action for the Nutrition of Malaysia (NPANMs) have been formulated to implement this policy.

Healthier Choice Logo

On 20 April 2017, the Minister of Health of Malaysia launched the Healthier Choice Logo in collaboration with food and beverages industries in Malaysia. The objectives of the Healthier Choice Logo are to: help consumers quickly identify healthier products within the same food category; assist consumers in making informed food choices through authentication of the logo displayed on the food products; educate the public on the use of approved products within a healthy and balanced eating pattern; and encourage and promote good practices among food industries in producing “healthier choice” products. Implementation of the Healthier Choice Logo is voluntary. Products bearing the logo indicate they meet a set of nutrient criteria, which exist for 42 sub-categories of foods and beverages. As of 15 May 2017, 48 products from various food and beverage companies have the Healthier Choice Logo.

NCD Country Profiles 2018 (Obesity Targets)

The profiles also provide data on the key metabolic risk factors, namely raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose and obesity and National Targets on Obesity (as of 2017)

Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Malaysia. A report of the technical working group

Malaysia faces the double burden of malnutrition. The burden of NCDs continue to rise in Malaysia and unhealthy diet is one of the major risk factors for NCD. Malaysian nowadays are living in an obesogenic environment that leads to sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits. The report has been created to to assist Malaysians in achieving, sustaining and maintaining a certain level of health status as the RNI's as they form the basis in setting up or establishing nutrition requirement in any nutritional guidelines.

KOSPEN Plus

KOSPEN Plus is a workplace health intervention programme aimed at reducing the occurrence of NCDs and related risk factors. It adapts the strategies used in KOSPEN to a workplace setting, training workers who go on to facilitate healthy behaviour change in their own workplaces by conducting activities and building a supportive environment. The programme focuses on eight main factors: healthy eating, active living, weight management, smoking cessation, health screening, mental health, healthy work environment, and reduction of alcohol harm.

NASPAL 2016-2025

National Strategic Action Plan for Active Living 2016-2025

National Plan of Action for Nutrition of Malaysia III 2016-2025

Updated plan of action to enhance the nutritional status of population and prevent or reduce NCDs. It includes targets to halt the increase in overweight and obesity among children and adults up to 2025 and reduce the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The plan includes an intention to introduce a mandatory ban on television advertising of HFSS foods/beverages for children by 2020, but there has been no update as of June 2025.

National Strategic Plan for Non-Communicable Disease: Medium term Strategic Plan to further strengthen the NCD Prevention and Control program in Malaysia (2016-2025)

Action Plan to Reduce the Double Burden of Malnutrition in the Western Pacific Region (2015–2020)

The WHO action plan to reduce the double burden of malnutrition in the Western Pacific Region. It calls for accelerated efforts to improve nutrition. The plan includes targets to halt the increase in childhood overweight and adult and adolescent diabetes and obesity by 2025.

KOSPEN

Komuniti Sihat Pembina Negara (KOSPEN) is a large-scale community-based intervention programme aimed at reducing the occurrence of NCDs and related risk factors through health promotion. The programme works by training community health volunteers, who go on to introduce and facilitate healthy practices in their own communities. This is done by organising community activities like education sessions, sports, and cooking demonstrations. There are seven main scopes: healthy diet, active lifestyle, weight management, smoking cessation, routine screening of NCD risk factors, mental health, and reduction of alcohol harm. For this intervention, the Ministry of Health (MOH) collaborated with the Department of Community Development (KEMAS) to integrate KOSPEN activities into their existing community programme.

Malaysian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents

The Malaysian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents comprise 15 key messages and 67 key recommendations for healthy children and adolescents from birth to 18 years of age

Malaysian Food and Beverage Industry's "Responsible Advertising to Children" Initiative

Voluntary self-regulatory pledge on responsible marketing of food and drink to children.

Want To Be Healthy Campaign (Nak Sihat)

The Nak Sihat Campaign is an initiative to promote physical activity in Malaysian young people. The campaign encourages physical activity through the media and events.

The Guide for Healthy School Canteen Management

The Guide for Healthy School Canteen Management (2012), developed by the Ministry of Education and mandatory for public schools, categorises food items into those which may be sold, those which are not encouraged to be sold and those whose sale is prohibited in school canteens. Prohibited food includes sweets, preserved food, extruded snacks containing artificial flavours and colourings (which are snacks mainly based on corn flour or a combination of flours undergoing extrusion and then coating with a combination of vegetable oil and seasoning), and food and beverages containing alcohol. The list of prohibited food is under review (2016), in particular with respect to carbonated drinks.

Healthy Students Programme (PROSIS)

The Healthy Student Programme (PROSIS) is an initiative to encourage students in higher education to practice a healthy lifestyle by eating healthily, doing regular physical activity, not smoking, and reducing alcohol consumption. The programme recruits groups of students who plan and co-ordinate activities and health interventions in their institutions.

Malaysia Dietary Guidelines 2010

The guidelines are aimed at health care providers to assist them in educating the public on improving their health through sound dietary practices. It is also intended to act as a tool for promoting healthy eating and achieving the National Plan of Action for Nutrition of Malaysia.

Walk 10,000 Steps Campaign

The Walk 10,000 Steps campaign was launched by the Ministry of Health Malaysia in 2009. The campaign is intended to increase physical activity in the Malaysian population, and promotes regular walking as a way to improve your health. 10,000 step walking tracks have been created around the country, and there are regular mass walking events.

The National Lactation Centre

The National Lactation Centre is a government agency under the Ministry of Health Malaysia launched in 2008. The agency aims to promote and support breastfeeding in Malaysia, and actively develop the Breastfeeding programme.

Guideline on the Advertising and Nutrition Information Labelling of Fast Foods

Launched in 2007, the Fast Food Advertising Guideline bans fast food advertising and sponsorships during children's television programmes. It also requires fast food restaurants to clearly display nutritional information labelling. These policies are self-regulated by industry. (Policy document in Malay linked below)

National Plan of Action for Nutrition Malaysia (2006-2015) - NPANM

NPANM aims to enhance the nutritional status of the population and prevent and control diet-related non-communicable diseases.

Strategy for the Prevention of Obesity - Malaysia

This strategy contains recommendations to help prevent normal weight individuals from becoming overweight or obese.

National Food Safety and Nutrition Council

Highest advisory body to the government on issues related to food and nutrition in the country.

GNPR 2016-17 (q7) Breastfeeding promotion and/or counselling

WHO Global Nutrition Policy Review 2016-2017 reported the evidence of breastfeeding promotion and/or counselling (q7)

Policy Options to Combat Obesity in Malaysia

Malaysian obesity policy action plan in line with National Plan of Action for Nutrition of Malaysia.

The Malaysian Guide to Nutrition Labelling and Claims

In Malaysia, a nutrient list detailing energy, protein, carbohydrates and fat per 100g/100ml and per serving must be provided on select categories of packaged food, including bread, confectionery, dairy products, canned food, fruit juices, salad dressings and mayonnaise; ready-to-drink beverages must also include total sugars. A nutrient list is also mandatory for any product bearing a nutrition claim, products with added vitamins and minerals, and special purpose food for infants and young children. Details are provided in the Malaysian Guide to Nutrition Labelling and Claims (2010), which reflects labelling legislation from 2003 (as incorporated into the Food Act of 1983 and Food Regulations of 1985) and subsequent amendments.