The interim chairman of Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission announced that MCMC is undertaking a review of the current online content regulation and framework. This was shared following recent publication of online content deemed to be harmful to national security and harmony. He also noted that countries in the region such as Indonesia, Singapore and Australia have introduced direct regulatory oversight on social media service providers, holding them to greater accountability and responsibility when managing harmful content.
From 30 December 2022, ‘Nutri-Grade’ beverages sold in Singapore in prepacked form and from automatic beverage dispensers will be subject to new labelling requirements and advertising prohibitions. Several drink manufacturers have reportedly reformulated their recipes to cut sugar and saturated fat, and introduced the ‘Nutri-Grade’ labels on the packaging of their products ahead of the deadline.
On 15 November 2022, the Department of Energy issued Department Circular No. 2022-11-0034 to amend Section 19 of the Rules and Regulations Implementing Republic Act No. 9513, otherwise known as the Renewable Energy Act of 2008. The amendments remove Filipino ownership requirements previously imposed on the exploration, development and utilization of solar, wind, hydro and ocean or tidal energy resources, to allow full foreign ownership.
On 21 November 2022, the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued the revised draft of the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of New Plant Varieties, which is open for public comments until 22 December 2022. The revisions aim to align the Regulations with the revised PRC Seed Law, which has been effective since 1 March 2022, and which provides more detailed and wider protection for plant variety rights in China.
The Australian Federal Government has passed major changes to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) in the form of the Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Bill 2022.
On 25 November 2022, the Land Court of Queensland recommended that decision makers not grant the mining lease and environmental authority required for the development and operation of Waratah Coal Pty Ltd’s proposed thermal coal mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin.
The Ministry of Manpower, on 23 November 2022, accepted the 12 recommendations proposed by the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers in its report Strengthening Protections For Platform Workers issued on 17 November 2022. The 12 recommendations in the Report aim to provide basic protections to platform workers in the following areas: (i) adequate financial protection in case of work injury, (ii) improved retirement and housing adequacy, and (iii) enhanced representation.
On 30 September 2022, the State Bank of Vietnam officially issued Circular No. 12/2022/TT-NHNN providing instructions on foreign exchange administration regarding offshore borrowing and offshore debt repayment of enterprises (“Circular 12”). Circular 12 came into effect on 15 November 2022, replacing Circular No. 03/2016/TT-NHNN and its amending circulars.
On 24 November 2022, the Health Sciences Authority published its Regulatory Guidelines for Laboratory Developed Tests. The new guidelines will come into effect from 1 March 2023. The HSA first published a draft version of the Regulatory Guidelines for LDTs on 12 July 2022. It invited stakeholders to provide feedback on the document, and held a public consultation period from 12 July 2022 to 12 August 2022.
On 14 November 2022, the Health Sciences Authority issued an alert on five products that it found to contain potent medicinal ingredients and informed the public not to purchase such products. Two of the products were obtained from Malaysia through the consumers’ friends and relatives; while the other three were available on local e-commerce platforms. The HSA has worked with the platforms to remove the affected listings.