On 4 September 2025 the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) published notice SQASI/CMCS/1/25/0005 on its website, announcing that on 26 June 2025 it had formally approved and published the new technical specification MCMC MTSFB TC T012:2025, Land Mobile Radio Equipment - Specification (second edition). The standard mainly revises the frequency range for UHF LMR equipment, conventional walkie-talkies, to 400-450 MHz, and updates the channel spacing requirements for the UHF and VHF bands.

Transition arrangements

To accompany the new standard, MCMC has set a certification transition period ending on 26 December 2025:

During the transition, from 26 June to 26 December 2025, equipment meeting the old standard may still be certified, but certificates are valid for no more than one year; certificates based on the old standard may be renewed, again for no more than one year.

After the transition, from 27 December 2025, all new certification applications must fully meet the new standard. Certificates already issued remain valid until expiry, but renewal must comply with the new standard.

Band compliance

MCMC also sets two certification routes for frequency and channel spacing issues:

Where the test report meets MCMC requirements but the product datasheet shows a wider band than permitted, the applicant must submit a configuration declaration confirming that the default settings meet MCMC requirements and cannot be modified by the user, and all technical documentation must accurately reflect that configuration.

Where both the product specification and the test report exceed or conflict with MCMC requirements, the applicant must demonstrate through verification testing or a live demonstration that the default settings are compliant and cannot be changed, and all relevant documents must state this accurately.

New interoperability rules

The rules also introduce a mandatory interoperability requirement: all LMR equipment must pass connectivity testing demonstrating interoperability. Where a device also supports cellular networks such as 4G and 5G, proof of interoperability must be provided separately for the LMR network and the cellular network.