ARE YOU CERTIFIED? – LANDMARK TRANSFORMATION FOR BEAUTY AND AESTHETIC SCIENCE

Beauty and aesthetic science is a multi-billion-dollar industry in Malaysia and is a key contributor to the national economy, as well as human capital development. The global beauty industry is estimated to be worth around US$350 billion, and in Malaysia, it is valued at over RM10 billion, yet the lack of an adequate set of regulations and certification puts consumers and practitioners at considerable risk which, in turn, could severely damage the reputation of the industry and adversely affect its long-term growth prospects and economic impact.

From left to right: Standards Malaysia officer, Dato Dr Ramamurthy (Vice President of AICA), Prof. Dr Ng Wee Kiong (President of AICA), Datuk Fadilah Baharin (Director General of Standards Malaysia), Dr Juliana Lim (CEO of IPEC Bureau), Dato’ Azmel Bin Haji Maamor (Chairman of IPEC Bureau), Mr CP Saw (Founder of Cosmobeauté, Vice President of AICA), Standards Malaysia Officer

On 21 November 2016, the landmark transformation of beauty and aesthetic science initiated by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Association of International Certified Aesthetician (AICA), Standards Malaysia and IPEC Bureau, aim to usher in a new era of self-regulatory efficiency and certified competency. The signing ceremony was led by Datuk Fadilah Baharin – Director General of Standards Malaysia, Professor Dr Ng Wee Kiong – Chairman of AICA, and Dr Juliana Lim – Chief Executive Officer of IPEC Bureau, in the presence of YBhg. Dato Azmel Maamor, Chairman of IPEC Bureau.

This MoU would hopefully acts as a model to enable regulators to appropriately regulate the beauty and aesthetic science industry in future. This self-regulatory initiative through accreditation of certification bodies that certify industry practitioners through the ISO / IEC 17024 Certification of Person is a commendable effort by industry players and practitioners as it addresses the quality and safety issues that often clouds the industry, and helps practitioners get certified for best practices and professional decorum.

“The accredited Scheme and certification provide an assurance of safety to the consumers, by endorsing industry best practices and quality treatments adopted by credible and capable Malaysian beauty practitioners. The certification scheme undertakes a globally accepted process of assessment, responsible oversight and periodic re‐assessments of the competence of certified persons”, said Datuk Fadilah.

From left to right: The Republic of India, Mr Chinnikrishnan Ashok Kumar; The Republic of Cambodia, Mr Chhay Sothea;  Shanghai An Bo Cosmetic Limited, Professor Dr Coco Alex Yeoh; President of AICA, Professor Dr Ng Wee Kiong; Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation’s Planning and Commercialisation Deputy Secretary-General, Mr Kua Abun; Senior Director of Standards Malaysia, Mr Ridzwan Kasim; CEO of IPEC Bureau, Dr Juliana Lim; The Republic of Singapore, Mr Alan Teo; and The Republic of Indonesia, Ms Marina Adia Indra.

However, 3 days later on 24 November 2016, witnessed by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation’s Planning and Commercialisation Deputy Secretary-General Mr Kua Abun, Mr Ridzwan Kasim, the Senior Director of Standards Malaysia and Dr Juliana Lim, CEO of IPEC Bureau, AICA officially signed MoUs with Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia and Singapore to set in motion an environment driven by accredited certification activities and recognition in beauty and aesthetic science. The MoUs will now enable regulators to appropriately regulate their domestic beauty and aesthetic science industry and, through IPEC Bureau, certify industry practitioners based on ISO / IEC 17024 Certification of Persons. This is a game-changing development that will empower practitioners and increase service excellence in line with global demands.

“AICA acts as an authoritative voice for its members and provides a solid platform to drive beauty and aesthetic science towards a harmonised environment. AICA will work closely with the representations from five nations and IPEC Bureau to advance the industry towards improved quality of service and practise, to ultimately gain the confidence of consumers,” said Professor Dr Ng.

Thanks to the collaboration between AICA and IPEC Bureau, practitioners can now get recognised for best practices and professional decorum which crucially allows greater talent mobility throughout the region. The MoU signing today also brings the Asia-Pacific region a step closer towards becoming a single certification bloc in key areas such as:

• • Knowledge transfer
• • Sharing of processes
• • Human resources development
• • Training and education
• • Certification processes
• • Standardisation and certification.

AICA is now open for new members. The Registration fee is US$25 and the annual fee of US$70 will be waived for the first year. This offer is valid until 31 December 2016 only. Call +603 2026 7733 or email [email protected] to become a member of AICA and enjoy unique opportunities such as getting connected to international experts, business expansion prospects and explore new strategic collaborations, among others.

Here are more photos of AICA MoU Signing Ceremony between 5 nations & AICA Gala Dinner!