GUIDELINES FOR SPECIAL IAP MWE 2025 

The Import Assistance Programme (IAP) established by the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) is an off-shore sourcing programme for timber raw materials/planting materials. This special incentive for IAP under the Malaysian Wood Expo (MWE) 2025 aims to encourage the development of timber industry in Peninsular Malaysia that is involved in manufacturing downstream value-added products for the domestic and export markets and facilitating them to import timber raw materials by defraying part of the freight and handling charges.

1.     COMPANY ELIGIBILITY 

a)    The company must participate in the Inbound Overseas Sourcing Programme (IOSP) during MTC MWE 2025. 

b)    The company shall be incorporated in Malaysia and based in Peninsular Malaysia with own manufacturing facilities. 

c)     The company shall be a Malaysian-owned company (with at least 51% of shareholding). 

d)    Eligible for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) only and are not subsidiaries of public listed companies. 

e)    For companies within the same group or with common shareholders, only one (1) company is eligible to apply for the special incentive. 

f)      The categories of eligible local traders are as follows: 

i)         Category I: Trader who imports and sell the timber materials “as is” to manufacturers for value-added downstream products. 

ii)        Category II: Trader outsources the value-added downstream process while sales and marketing is handled by its company. 

g)    The company shall be a member of any one (1) of the following six (6) timber associations: 

1. Malaysian Wood Industries Association (MWIA);
2. The Timber Exporters' Association of Malaysia (TEAM);
3. The Malaysian Panel-Products Manufacturers' Association (MPMA);
4. Malaysian Wood Moulding & Joinery Council (MWMJC);
5. Malaysian Furniture Council (MFC);
6. Persatuan Pengusaha Kayu-kayan & Perabot Bumiputra Malaysia (PEKA)                                                                               [Association of Malaysian Bumiputra Timber & Furniture Entrepreneurs] 

h)    SMEs graduated from the MTC IAP are eligible to apply for this special incentive.

2.     TIMBER RAW MATERIALS/SUPPLIERS 

a)    Timber raw materials must be in the form of round logs, sawntimber, veneers, mouldings, tubular core particleboard, semi-processed products and timber components deemed suitable by MTC. 

b)    The timber raw materials must be from legal sources. 

c)     Import of timber raw materials from Thailand is not eligible for this special incentive. 

d)    Import of timber raw materials from Sabah and Sarawak is permitted under the programme.  

e)    The special incentive is only eligible for the import of timber raw materials from suppliers that exhibited in the MWE 2025 and participated in the Inbound Overseas Sourcing Programme (IOSP) during the exhibition. 

f)     The special incentive is only valid for reimbursement of timber raw materials imported from 1 January to 31 December 2026. 

g)    Final port of destination should be a port located in Peninsular Malaysia.

3.     INCENTIVES   

A.    Direct Sourcing Programme

Note: 

1)    Terms and conditions in the existing Import Assistance Programme (IAP) applies.

4.     REGISTRATION/APPLICATION 

a)    Register for a special MWE account at MTC IAP Portal: iap.mtc.com.my. Once the account registration is approved, the applicant will receive an email notification and instructions to log into the Portal. 

b)    Applying companies shall complete their company profile in the online application portal. 

c)     Applying companies with an existing special MWE account in the portal shall log in and update their company profile. The company profile can be updated at any time and should be kept up to date for MTC’s evaluation. 

d)    Certified true copy of documents¹ required include: 

1. Form 24 as per the Companies Act 1965 OR Section 78 as per the Companies Act 2016.
2. Form 49 as per the Companies Act 1965 OR Section 58 as per the Companies Act 2016.
3. Latest Section 68 (Annual Return) as per Companies Act 2016.
4. Latest Audited Accounts.  

Note: ¹ To certify on the first page only. Hardcopies are not required.

5.     NON-COMPLIANCE (Penalty) 

Manufacturers registered with IAP should declare and confirm that the timber raw materials are imported from legal sources and the products are used for the company’s own production and not for re-export and/or traded. In the event of non-compliance with any of the provisions contained herein, the company must refund in full the disbursement amounts to MTC within fourteen (14) calendar days from the receipt of a written notice from MTC. MTC reserves its rights to initiate legal action to recover the disbursed amount and/or any other actions deemed suitable. All costs incurred in pursuing such actions shall be solely borne by the company.

6.     REIMBURSEMENT  

a)    All applications for the IAP reimbursement must be submitted online via MTC IAP Portal (iap.mtc.com.my) within 30 days from the import date as per custom receipt/declaration, with the following documents to be submitted online:  

i)          Purchase Order/Contract 

ii)         Bill of Lading 

iii)        Legality Certificate(s) (if any)   

iv)        Customs Official Receipt (if any) 

v)         Customs Declaration Form (K1) 

vi)        Special Calculation of Import (if any) 

vii)       Commercial/Supplier’s Invoice(s) 

viii)      Packing List  

ix)        Forwarding Invoice(s) 

x)         Ocean Freight Invoice(s) 

xi)        Terminal Operators’ Invoice(s)  

xii)       Land Transportation Invoice(s) 

xiii)      Self-declaration Letter (if any) 

b)    The applying company is required to submit company declarations via the IAP portal to acknowledge the responsibility for the accuracy and authenticity of all information provided in the submitted documents.  Certified true copies are not required for the uploaded supporting documents, except for those required for the Company Profile. 

c)     Approval for reimbursement of incentive under this programme is at the sole discretion of MTC subject to any application for reimbursement supported by credible and non-misleading requisite documentation as stipulated herein. 

d)    Reimbursement is based on a first-come, first-served basis until the fund is fully utilised. 

e)    Timber raw material imported is subject to periodical audit by MTC staff either at the port or at the factory premises from time to time. 

For further enquiries and information, please contact:

1. Ms Adeline Goh, 03-92869961 , email: adeline@mtc.com.my 

2. Ms. Mazwani Adnan, 03-9286 9979, email: mazwani@mtc.com.my

3. Ms Juli Pilus, 03-9286 9969, email: juli@mtc.com.my

Industry Development & Transformation Division (IDTD)