KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Negotiations for the Malaysia-European Union Free Trade Agreement (MEUFTA) are still ongoing, with the Intellectual Property Chapter still under negotiation, although several other chapters have been successfully concluded.
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) said the fifth round of negotiations took place from Sept 21 to 25, 2026, in Brussels, Belgium.
According to MITI, in the context of the MEUFTA negotiations, matters related to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) fall under the Intellectual Property Chapter, which is led by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN).
“KPDN, through its agency, the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia, takes into account that the protection of intellectual property, particularly patents and data protection, needs to be balanced with public interest, including access to safe, high-quality, and affordable medicines.
“In addition to KPDN, any proposals related to intellectual property under the MEUFTA negotiations with implications on access to medicines are also reviewed together with the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency under the Ministry of Health Malaysia,” it said.
MITI was responding to Lee Chuan How (PH-Ipoh Timor) regarding the additional intellectual property commitments proposed by the EU in the negotiations, TRIPS+, and Malaysia’s existing obligations, as well as the assessment of their impact on competition, the entry of generics and biosimilars, and the policy space to ensure medicines remain affordable.
The ministry said the government will continue to strive to ensure that any negotiation outcome does not limit the country’s policy space in implementing the necessary measures to safeguard public health interests, promote fair competition, and ensure access to generic and biosimilar medicines.
It added that this will safeguard people’s welfare through a supply of medicines that are safe, effective, high-quality, and affordable.
-- BERNAMA