REGULATORY GOVERNANCE OF AESTHETIC TREATMENTS INTEGRATED WITH MAQASID SHARIAH RESPONSIVE ETHICAL PERSPECTIVE IN MALAYSIA

Farrah Payyadhah Borhan; Ahmad Syukran Baharuddin

doi:10.31436/iiumlj.v34i1.1321

Authors

Farrah Payyadhah Borhan Academy of Contemporary Islamic Studies (ACIS), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Ahmad Syukran Baharuddin Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31436/iiumlj.v34i1.1321

Keywords:

Aesthetic Treatments, Regulatory Governance, Medical Law, Ethics, Maqasid Shariah-Responsive Framework

Abstract

The rapid expansion of Malaysia’s aesthetic industry has increasingly blurred the boundary between non-medical beauty services and regulated medical interventions, exposing critical gaps in governance, practitioner accountability, and patient safety. While the Ministry of Health Malaysia has introduced guidelines to structure aesthetic practice, the regulatory framework remains fragmented, particularly at the intersection of cosmetic and aesthetic medical services. Moreover, existing instruments are largely compliance-oriented, focusing on the medical practitioner's ethical code of conduct for aesthetic practice and inadequately addressing the religious considerations that shape decision-making among Muslim consumers when performing aesthetic treatments in line with Islamic law. This study critically analyses the governance of aesthetic treatments in Malaysia through a qualitative doctrinal approach, drawing on statutory frameworks, professional guidelines, enforcement mechanisms, and relevant case law. The findings identify structural inconsistencies in regulatory, scope-of-practice, and enforcement frameworks, particularly within medico-cosmetic grey zones. Addressing this gap, the study advances a contribution by integrating a Maqasid Shariah-responsive ethical framework as a complementary layer of governance. Rather than functioning as a parallel legal system, Maqasid Shariah provides a structured evaluative lens for assessing necessity, proportionality, and harm prevention in aesthetic interventions. This integration offers a culturally responsive model of governance that strengthens patient protection, enhances informed consent, and aligns regulatory practice with ethical accountability in a Muslim-majority context.

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