KKLIU approval for medical advertisements, step by step

What the law actually says

The rule sits in section 4A of the Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1956. It says no person shall take part in publishing an advertisement that (a) refers to any skill or service relating to the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of any ailment, disease, injury, infirmity or condition, and (b) is capable of inducing, or invites, anyone to seek advice in connection with that skill or service.

Read on its own, that bans almost all healthcare advertising. The exception is in the proviso. Section 4A does not apply to an advertisement published with the approval of the Medicine Advertisements Board by a private hospital, or by a private clinic, private radiological clinic or private medical laboratory operated by a registered medical practitioner with a valid annual practising certificate under the Medical Act 1971.

Three things follow from that wording:

• Only those facilities can apply. The MAB will not accept applications from other premises offering treatment, and its FAQ says it does not approve advertisements for services at fitness centres. Aesthetic services can only be advertised by licensed clinics or hospitals.
• "Take part in" is wide. It can reach the agency, the publisher and the doctor named in the advertisement, not only the clinic. Section 5(2A) presumes that the person whose service is advertised took part in publishing it unless they prove otherwise.
• The penalties are criminal. Under section 5(1), a first conviction carries a fine of up to RM3,000, up to one year's imprisonment, or both. A later conviction carries up to RM5,000, two years, or both.

Two other regimes sit alongside it. Section 108 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 bars misleading advertisements by licensed facilities, and the Malaysian Medical Council's Guideline V2/2025 governs what doctors themselves may publish. Our guide on how doctors market themselves within the MMC rules covers that side.

What needs approval, and what does not

The MAB's Advertising Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities and Services (current amendment MAB 1/2026, in effect from June 2026) list what you can publish without applying. Everything else that promotes a service needs a KKLIU number.

The line that matters is between education and invitation. A post explaining when a fever in a toddler needs a doctor, signed with the doctor's name and clinic, is exempt. The same post ending "Book now at our clinic, WhatsApp 012 345 6789" is an advertisement and needs a number.

The application, step by step

1. Decide whether you need approval. Use the table above. If you are unsure, the MAB's own approval guide says you may submit an application and the Board will tell you.
2. Check your licence and APC. The MAB rejects applications where the private healthcare facility licence has expired, where the advertised service is not on the licence, or where the doctor's annual practising certificate has expired or shows a different practice address.
3. Prepare the exact format. The MAB approves the advertisement as submitted: the artwork, script or web pages. Write it to the content rules in the next section before you submit, not after.
4. Count your formats. One application covers one advertisement format for all media except social media (policy MAB 4/2016). For social media, the 2026 amendment allows up to three postings per application. A posting is one scene, frame or poster with one caption. Carousels and multi-caption posts count as separate postings, and a video counts as one.
5. Submit with the fee. The MAB's services approval guide lists a processing fee of RM300 per application, non-refundable once the application is accepted. Fees have been reviewed before, so confirm the current amount and submission channel with the MAB secretariat at the Pharmaceutical Services Programme in Petaling Jaya (03 7841 3200).
6. Wait for the decision. The MAB's client charter is 5 working days for formats other than websites, and 30 days, including weekends and public holidays, for a website.
7. Publish with the number. The approval number must be displayed clearly on every advertisement. The MAB's FAQ gives the format as KKLIU followed by a serial number and either the year (KKLIU 1234/2018) or an expiry date (KKLIU xxxx/EXP 31.12.2025). Plan to reapply before an approval lapses.

Changing an approved advertisement

Under policy MAB 7/2006, you can ask for an amendment within 2 months of approval, once only, and the MAB's FAQ says amendments are free. After that, a change needs a new application. Some changes only need you to notify the MAB, provided the rest of the content stays exactly as approved: charges, service hours, the validity period, company name, logo, address and contact details, and an approved website URL.

Content rules that cause rejections

Most rejections come from content, not paperwork. The guidelines and the MAB's policy decisions set out what an approved advertisement can and cannot carry.

Two more points catch clinics out. MMC Guideline V2/2025 section 2.6 says it is unethical for a doctor to claim to be the best or the only one in a field, so leave out "best", "leading" and "No. 1" even though the MAB deleted its own superlatives clause in 2019. And private CSR or charity campaigns may not be advertised for marketing purposes (MAB 3/2023, amended 2025).

Social media, websites and languages

• Social media links in an advertisement: you may only show a social media logo or link in an approved format if you give the KKLIU number of the relevant post in your application (MAB 2/2017, amended 2023).
• Websites: the MAB allows advertising on a website that features healthcare facilities and services only, without other general products (MAB 3/2012). Content must be informative and simple, without laudatory remarks, and practitioner photos must not take up more than one third of the format (6.8).
• Languages: an advertisement in a language other than Bahasa Malaysia or English needs a translation into one of them, certified by the relevant embassy or high commission, ITBM, or the Malaysian Translators Association (MAB 2/2016).
• Radio talk shows: only a complete script is accepted, with no caller segment, and approval lasts 6 months (MAB 1/2004).
• Overseas providers: the MAB does not accept applications from providers outside Malaysia for Malaysian publications (MAB 7/2004).

If your application is rejected

The MAB's approval guide lists the usual reasons: content that does not follow the guidelines and policies, an expired facility licence, a service not on the licence, or an APC that has expired or shows a different address. Fix the specific issue and reapply.

If you disagree with a decision, policy MAB 3/2013 notes that under regulation 6 of the Medicine Advertisements Board Regulations 1976, anyone aggrieved by a decision of the Board may appeal to the Minister of Health, whose decision is final.

Members of the public can report healthcare advertisements that carry no KKLIU number through the Ministry's SISPAA complaints system, and the MAB publishes a searchable list of approved advertisements on the Pharmaceutical Services Programme website.

Sources: Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act 1956, ss. 4A, 5. MAB, Advertising Guidelines for Healthcare Facilities and Services (amendment MAB 1/2026). MAB, Policy and Decision (Services) 4.2026. MAB, Services Advertisement Approval Guide. MAB, Guidelines for Permissible Claims in Skill and Healthcare Service Advertisements Exempted from MAB Approval (2025). Pharmaceutical Services Programme, advertising FAQ. MMC Guideline V2/2025, ss. 2.6, 4.17. This page is general information, not legal advice. For a specific campaign, check with the MAB secretariat or a lawyer.

Common questions