Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia has launched its first biotechnology ethics guidelines, a landmark move seen as setting a benchmark for responsible innovation acros☂s the Southeast Asian region.

The guidelines, unveiled at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Bioethics Seminar 2025 on September 9, outline 15 core ethical principles, covering respect for autonomy, human dignity and rights, social responsibility, bio-sovereignty, sustainability, and the protection of future generations, Bernama reported. Malaysian Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Chang Lih Kang said the document stresses genetic data protection, transparency in clinical research, humane use of animals, and the importance of public trust in biotechnology. He noted that technological progress must be balanced with ethical considerations, describing the guidelines as foundations for trust rather than barriers to advancement. Chang highlighted the transformative potential of biotechnology, artificial intelligence, gene editing, and cultured meat in tackling global challenges from hereditary diseases to food security and climate change. According to the minister, the guidelines are aimed at policymakers, researchers, industry and educators, with a people-centred approach to ensure biotechnology advances in a compassionate, ethical, and inclusive way. As ASEAN subcommittee chair on biotechnology, the Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation pledges to work with regional partners on a common bioethics vision. He emphasised that issues such as food security, equitable healthcare and responsible use of AI require collective solutions, adding that bioethics is a shared ASEAN responsibility across professions, nations, and generations. Decisions from the seminar, he said, would help shape the region’s biotechnology landscape for decades to come. Themed "Navigating Bioethical Frontiers: Sustainability and Resilience in ASEAN", the two-day seminar in Sabah gathered 250 delegates, including representatives of all ASEAN member states, Timor-Leste, the ASEAN Secretariat, scientists, ethicists, policymakers, and industry leaders./.