SHAH ALAM, 5 March 2021: The National Metrology Institute of Malaysia (NMIM), the national measurements laboratory operated by SIRIM Berhad, has been appointed as President and Secretariat of the Asia-Pacific Legal Metrology Forum (APLMF) for a period of two years.
The new appointment will make Malaysia the first developing country and from the ASEAN region mandated as the President and Secretariat of APLMF that requires the hosting economy, among other things, to manage the secretariat, organise annual meetings and support the execution of APLMF's work programme.
APLMF is a grouping of legal metrology authorities aimed to develop legal metrology and to promote free and open trade in the region through the harmonisation and removal of technical or administrative barriers to trade in the field of legal metrology.
Commenced in November 1994, APLMF was established with 14-member economies from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region, namely Australia, Canada, People's Republic of China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand and USA. As of today, APLMF have 27 countries as its members.
National Measurement Council Chairman, Academician Tan Sri Ir. Dr. Ahmad Tajuddin Ali said Malaysia through NMIM has shown its commitment and expertise in legal metrology within the Asia Pacific in realising APLMF's objectives has been acknowledged with the appointment as APLMF Executive Committee since 2002.
“The committee has proposed that Malaysia is considered for the President post and Secretariat of APLMF to succeed Trading Standards (Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment), New Zealand. New Zealand is the current President & Secretariat of APLMF since 2015. Other countries that have held the same post include China, Japan and Australia," he said.
Ahmad Tajuddin said the appointment was approved by the Cabinet recently and Senior Director of NMIM, Dr Osman Zakaria will assume the APLMF President post.
President & Group Chief Executive of SIRIM, Datuk Ir. Dr. Ahmad Fadzil Mohamad Hani commended NMIM on the appointment.
“SIRIM Berhad Management congratulates NMIM and Dr Osman on the appointment and wishes NMIM every success in positioning Malaysia as a leader in metrology and improving the sector both nationally and within the Asia Pacific region," he added.
NMIM is the National Standard Measurement Laboratory under the National Measurement System Act 2007 (Act 675); and plays a role as the custodian under the Weights and Measures Act 1972 (Act 71). NMIM disseminates the traceability of measurement to the whole country based on the International System of Units and has great responsibility in ensuring the national metrology infrastructures meet and comply with global measurement standards.