Reconciling Regulatory Governance and Communal Rights in Traditional Medicine: A Comparative Legal Study of Indonesia and Malaysia

Sulyanti Rachman; Safrin Salam; Rizki Mustika Suhartono; Leonito Ribeiro

doi:10.47268/sasi.v32i3.3707

Authors

Sulyanti Rachman ✉ Universitas Muhammadiyah Buton , Indonesia
Safrin Salam Universitas Muhammadiyah Buton , Indonesia
Rizki Mustika Suhartono Universitas Muhammadiyah Buton , Indonesia
Leonito Ribeiro Universidade da Paz , Timor-Leste

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47268/sasi.v32i3.3707

Keywords:

Legal Pluralism, Traditional Medicine, Communal Rights

Abstract

Introduction: The governance of traditional knowledge in traditional medicine raises a regulatory challenge: how can public health oversight be reconciled with the collective rights and customary practices of knowledge-holding communities? Indonesia and Malaysia provide a relevant comparative context because their regulatory frameworks differ in institutional organization and recognition of traditional medicine.

Purposes of the Research: This study examines and compares the legal governance of traditional knowledge in traditional medicine management in Indonesia and Malaysia, focusing on legal recognition, regulatory protection, customary law, and benefit-sharing.

Methods of the Research: The study employs normative legal research with a comparative and conceptual approach. It examines relevant legislation, regulatory instruments, legal doctrines, and scholarly literature to identify similarities, differences, and normative gaps in the two legal systems.

Results of the Research: The analysis indicates that traditional medicine governance in both jurisdictions prioritizes regulatory supervision and public health objectives, while the recognition of traditional knowledge as a collective legal entitlement remains insufficiently developed. Indonesia presents a fragmented regulatory framework, whereas Malaysia demonstrates more centralized institutional regulation. The study proposes a normative framework for integrating legal pluralism, regulatory accountability, and community-oriented protection. Its contribution lies in connecting traditional knowledge governance with the legal design of collective rights and equitable benefit-sharing.

References

Abdul Aziz, Norazlina, Nurrulhuda Ahmad, Izuan Izzaidi Azmi, and Che Natheera Abd Aziz. “An Analysis of The Rights to Health and The Traditional & Complementary Medicine Healthcare Services in Malaysia.” International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 13, no. 4 (2023): 1375-1391. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i4/16705.

Abdul Aziz, Norazlina, Izuan Izzaidi Azmi, Nurrulhuda Ahmad, and Tajul Iqmal Tajul Arus. “A Comparative View on the Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) Regulation in Malaysia and China.” Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal 9, no. SI17 (2024): 169–74. https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v9iSI17.5442.

Achmad Hariri and Basuki Babussalam. “Legal Pluralism: Concept, Theoretical Dialectics, and Its Existence in Indonesia.” Walisongo Law Review (Walrev) 6, no. 2 (2024): 146–70. https://doi.org/10.21580/walrev.2024.6.2.25566.

Andia, Tatiana, and Nitsan Chorev. “How to Study Global Lawmaking: Lessons from Intellectual Property Rights and International Health Emergencies.” Annual Review of Law and Social Science 19, no. 1 (2023): 215–34.

Buana, Andika Prawira, and Moch Andry Wikra Wardhana Mamonto. “The Role of Customary Law in Natural Resource Management: A Comparative Study between Indonesia and Australia.” Golden Ratio of Mapping Idea and Literature Format 3, no. 2 (2023): 167–86. https://doi.org/10.52970/grmilf.v3i2.400.

Dianasari, Widha, and Mardiati Nadjib. “Supervision Of Traditional Medicines Containing Undeclared Substance: Analysis of Indonesian Fda Monitoring Data For 2012 - 2021.” Journal of Indonesian Health Policy and Administration 7, no. 1 (2022): 196. https://doi.org/10.7454/ihpa.v7i1.5858.

Elnaiem, Azza, Olaa Mohamed-Ahmed, Alimuddin Zumla, “Global and Regional Governance of One Health and Implications for Global Health Security.” The Lancet 401, no. 10377 (2023): 688–704. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01597-5.

Fathoni, Fathoni, Febrian Febrian, Firman Muntaqo, and Mohammad Nizar. “Comparative Analysis of Environmental Permitting in Indonesia and Malaysia: Implications for National Strategic Projects.” Administrative and Environmental Law Review 6, no. 1 (2025): 77–90. https://doi.org/10.25041/aelr.v6i1.4360.

Hossain, Kamrul, and Rosa Maria Ballardini. “Protecting Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Through a Holistic Principle-Based Approach.” Nordic Journal of Human Rights 39, no. 1 (2021): 51–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/18918131.2021.1947449.

Ijaz, Nadine, and Heather Carrie. “Governing Therapeutic Pluralism: An Environmental Scan of the Statutory Regulation and Government Reimbursement of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Practitioners in the United States.” PLOS Global Public Health 3, no. 8 (2023): e0001996. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001996.

Indriyani, Yeni, Dhihram Tenrisau, Paricha Nippanon, Anootnara T Kuster, and Dwi Linna Suswardany. “Socio-Culture and Health Problem Factors on Traditional Medicine Use among Indonesian Adult: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from National Survey.” Preprint, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1590/SciELOPreprints.5769.

Liang, Zuanji, Hao Hu, Junlei Li, Dongning Yao, Yitao Wang, and Carolina Oi Lam Ung. “Advancing the Regulation of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Products: A Comparison of Five Regulatory Systems on Traditional Medicines with a Long History of Use.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2021 (2021): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5833945.

Liang, Zuanji, Yunfeng Lai, Meng Li, et al. “Applying Regulatory Science in Traditional Chinese Medicines for Improving Public Safety and Facilitating Innovation in China: A Scoping Review and Regulatory Implications.” Chinese Medicine 16, no. 1 (2021): 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13020-021-00433-2.

Maskun, Maskun, Rasyikah Md. Khalid, Nurul Habaib Al Mukarramah, “Legal Analysis of Reclaimed Wastewater Management in Indonesia: Reference to Malaysia and Singapore.” Water 17, no. 10 (2025): 1416. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17101416.

Park, Ji-Eun, Junhyeok Yi, and Ohmin Kwon. “Twenty Years of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Regulation and Its Impact in Malaysia: Achievements and Policy Lessons.” BMC Health Services Research 22, no. 1 (2022): 102. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-07497-2.

Redvers, Nicole, Kelly Menzel, Danya Carroll, et al. “Indigenous Rights, Health and Traditional Medicine Systems.” Bulletin of the World Health Organization 103, no. 11 (2025): 722–29. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.24.292882.

Satria, Rahmad. “Legal and Institutional Frameworks for Managing Forest Resources: A Comparative Study of ASEAN Countries.” Jurnal Konseling Dan Pendidikan 13, no. 1 (2025): 409–19. https://doi.org/10.29210/1143900.

Soon, Goh Cheng. "Regulatory Challenges in Uplifting Traditional Malay Medicine in Malaysia", International Journal of Allied Health Sciences 5, no. 5 (2021): 2312-2321.

Subagiyo, Dwi Tatak, Hari Wibisono, and Lia Ningrum. “An Overview of Legal Measures to Prevent and Protect Unreasonably the Use of Traditional Medicine in Indonesia.” Journal of Law and Sustainable Development 11, no. 11 (2023): e1782. https://doi.org/10.55908/sdgs.v11i11.1782.

Tiara, Nuraliah Ali, and Satriya Nugraha. “Legal Protection Analysis of Consumers Against Traditional Medicines Containing Pharmaceutical Chemical Substances in Digital Markets.” Journal of Law, Politic and Humanities 5, no. 5 (2025): 3644–54. https://doi.org/10.38035/jlph.v5i5.1922.

Widiarto, Aan Eko, Muhamad Sayuti Hassan, Mohd Hazmi Mohd Rusli, and Endrianto Bayu Setiawan. “The Authority Relationship of Central and Local Governments in Forming Laws and Regulations: Between Indonesia and Malaysia.” Legality: Jurnal Ilmiah Hukum 33, no. 1 (2025): 148–67. https://doi.org/10.22219/ljih.v33i1.36629.