KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) will continue to make final decisions on investigations collectively, even after the amendments to the Competition Commission (Amendment) Bill 2026 that allow for the delegation of the commission’s powers and functions, said Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.
The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister said the delegation of powers aims to improve the commission's day-to-day operations, while decisions on investigations would remain the responsibility of the commission as a whole.
“No single individual or representative can hand out final decisions.
“At the same time, guidelines on this delegation of powers and functions of the commission will be published online for the public,” he said when winding up debates on the Competition Commission (Amendment) Bill 2026 in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (July 6).
On a related matter, he said the new financial penalties and late-payment charges under the amendments to the Bill can potentially enable MyCC to improve its operational capacity.
“There are only about 30 officers who are permanently employed. We hope that these amendments will not only ensure a bigger number of officers but also those that are trained and have expertise,” he said.
In a statement later, Armizan said amendments under the Competition (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the Competition Commission (Amendment) Bill 2026, which were passed earlier on Monday, represent a key legislative reform to strengthen the country's healthy competition ecosystem.
“Among the five new provisions introduced is a new criminal offence for enterprises that fail to cooperate by providing information requested by MyCC for market reviews under Section 11A.
“The new provision is intended to ensure market studies are conducted comprehensively, transparently and based on accurate data so that they achieve their intended objectives.
“In addition, the introduction of Section 58A will allow the Commission to appeal to the High Court if any decisions made under Sections 35, 39 or 40 are overturned by the Competition Appeal Tribunal,” he said.
To support the effective implementation of the amendments under the Competition (Amendment) Bill 2026, Armizan said corresponding amendments have also been made to the Competition Commission (Amendment) Bill 2026.
This involves 10 sections, including improvements to nine existing sections and the introduction of one new section.
“The amendments provide the Commission with clearer and more practical powers, including delegated authority to carry out certain functions,” he said.
According to the minister, both Bills are scheduled to be tabled in the Dewan Negara during its sitting from July 20 to Aug 4.
