AOSHRI Office In Bangi Reflects Malaysia’s Commitment To Regional OSH Development

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 (Bernama) -- The establishment of the permanent secretariat office of the Asian Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute (AOSHRI) at the headquarters of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Bandar Baru Bangi reflects Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening occupational safety and health (OSH) development at the regional level.

Deputy Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad said the office would not only serve as the administrative centre for AOSHRI, but also as a dynamic hub for ASEAN-led OSH research, supporting policy coordination and cross-border knowledge exchange.

“This initiative is part of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2045, which is important for ASEAN to promote holistic and inclusive research and to ensure a regional approach is adopted,” he said when launching the ASEAN OSH Summit 2025 here today.

Also present was NIOSH chairman Chong Chieng Jen.

Abdul Rahman added that AOSHRI brings together OSH-related research organisations from ASEAN countries as well as regional partners including China, Japan and South Korea.

He said the institute’s extensive membership network demonstrates that safeguarding worker wellbeing is not just a national agenda but also a shared regional priority.

“Efforts to advance OSH research can be achieved with the support of NIOSH Malaysia, which houses 13 specialised laboratories in areas such as industrial hygiene, chemical and biological analysis, ergonomics, and personal protective equipment testing.

Abdul Rahman said these world-class facilities, capable of conducting high-impact studies and supporting the development of standards, are crucial to furthering OSH research across the region.

On a related note, Abdul Rahman said the Malaysia Research Initiatives for National Agenda 3.0 (MaRINA 3.0) framework, which will be presented at the summit, is expected to serve as a reference for regional countries in shaping their own research directions.

“The Pre-MaRINA 3.0 workshop organised by NIOSH in Putrajaya last month gathered experts from ASEAN and beyond, including representatives from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) of Türkiye, and the University of South Australia.

“The workshop outlined Malaysia’s OSH research priorities for the next five years, with a focus on emerging OSH risks, industrial transformation, and the future of work,” he said.

-- BERNAMA