Malaysia and Singapore have launched a bilateral Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot scheme that lets applicants leverage a positive examination outcome in one office to speed up examination in the other. The programme—run by the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) commenced on 18 January 2025 and is scheduled to run for two years, through 18 January 2027. During the pilot, the offices will monitor results and may extend, fully implement, suspend, or terminate the scheme depending on demand and outcomes.

What the PPH Means for Applicants

At its core, the PPH is about work-sharing. If an application examined by IPOS or MyIPO contains at least one claim that has been found allowable/patentable, the applicant can request accelerated examination of the corresponding application at the other office. This avoids duplicative searching and speeds time to a patent decision. IPOS notes that PPH cases typically see faster first office actions (about 10 months in Singapore), fewer office actions, and high grant rates (averaging 92% across PPH offices in 2023; 94% in Singapore). The programme is also complimentary at IPOS and can be requested any time before examination starts.

Who Can Use It?

To use the bilateral PPH between Malaysia and Singapore, the two related applications must share the same earliest date (priority or filing), and the claims in the “Office of Later Examination” (OLE) must sufficiently correspond to the claims allowed in the “Office of Earlier Examination” (OEE). “Sufficient correspondence” generally means the OLE claims are of the same or narrower scope (e.g., by adding supported limitations). In addition, examination must not yet have begun in the OLE. These requirements mirror PPH practice globally while being tailored to MyIPO–IPOS procedures.

How to Request Acceleration

Requesting acceleration at IPOS using MyIPO results. File IPOS Patents Form 11 (Search& Examination) or Form 12 (Examination), tick the “ASPEC/PPH” checkbox, and attach: (a) the relevant MyIPO office actions, (b) the allowed claims, and (c)a claims correspondence table mapping the allowed MyIPO claims to your Singapore claims. If the PF11/PF12 was already filed, you can still request PPH before examination starts by notifying IPOS (subject: “PPH acceleration requested”) and submitting the required documents when invited.

MyIPO has issued a corresponding guidance note for relying on IPOS work products. The pilot window and overall approach mirror Singapore’s: applicants submit a request with supporting documents demonstrating claim correspondence and the same earliest date.

Why this Pilot Matters

For innovators operating in or targeting two of ASEAN’s most dynamic economies, the pilot offers a practical way to conserve prosecution budgets and cut months off pendency. It also complements existing regional options such as ASPEC, giving applicants another acceleration lane that relies on concrete, allowed claims from a trusted partner office. Strategically, this can be powerful for start-ups seeking early grant to support investment, and for established companies coordinating multi-jurisdictional filings across Southeast Asia.

Practical tips

• Plan early. Because PPH must be requested before examination starts in the OLE, track examination status closely and prepare your correspondence table as soon as a partner office allows claims.
• Align claim scope. Ensure Singapore/Malaysia claims “sufficiently correspond” to the allowed set; consider narrowing amendments supported by the specification to meet this     threshold without sacrificing meaningful coverage.
• Keep records handy. Have clean copies (and translations where needed) of the allowed claims and office actions; non-patent literature may still be requested later by the office.

Conclusion

The Malaysia–Singapore PPH pilot is a timely, business-friendly initiative. By enabling applicants to reuse high-quality examination work and by offering ano-fee acceleration path at IPOS, it can simplify cross-border patenting and help innovators bring protected technologies to market faster in both jurisdictions. Applicants with parallel filings in Malaysia and Singapore should review eligibility now to take advantage of the two-year pilot window.