A Zone 1 and Zone 21 handset for Malaysian crews: process and maintenance technicians at Pengerang and Kertih, LNG operators at Bintulu, offshore production staff off Miri and Kimanis, and the safety and telecoms people who issue their equipment. If you are specifying a hazardous area smartphone for Malaysia, this page covers the markings, the approvals and the current certification status of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Malaysia: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | 0, 1 or 2 for gas; 20, 21 or 22 for dust | Designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC | IIC (target) |
| Area drawing | The operator's own classification drawing | Decided by the site operator |
| Where it applies | Malaysia: Pengerang, Johor, Kertih, Terengganu, Gebeng, Pahang | Classified by the site operator |
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Malaysia. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Operators and classified areas drawn from the SAMS Malaysia market guide.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), based in Cyberjaya, regulates communications under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, so radio and mobile-device rules sit with a different body from Ex rules.
Electrical and electronic products, petroleum products, LNG, chemicals and palm-oil-based manufactures are among the main exports, so processing sites range from petrochemical units to palm-oil mills.
Energy supply is regulated by the Energy Commission (Suruhanjaya Tenaga) and the Department of Electricity and Gas Supply, under laws that include the 1974 Petroleum Development Act and the 1993 Gas Supply Acts.
PETRONAS describes its Pengerang Integrated Complex in Johor as one of Southeast Asia's largest integrated petrochemical facilities, valued at USD 27 billion and located within the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex.
A hazardous area is a place where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust may be present. Standards divide these into zones: Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas and vapour, and Zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust. Zone 1 and Zone 21 are the tier where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation, which is where the IS-04Z1 is designed to work. Anything carried in must be marked for the zone, gas group and temperature class of the area.
No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet, so it must not be taken into a classified area until the certificate covering it exists and the site operator has accepted it.
In Malaysia. Malaysia keeps its hazardous workforce in defined clusters: Pengerang in Johor, Kertih in Terengganu, Gebeng in Pahang, Bintulu and Miri in Sarawak, and the Kimanis gas terminal in Sabah, plus the offshore fields feeding them. The operator or site owner classifies each area, so zone drawings come from them, not from SAMS.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Zone 1 and Zone 21 (gas and dust) with gas group IIC and temperature class T4, subject to certification. It must not be used in a classified area before its certificate is issued and the site has accepted it.
The market guide for Malaysia covers Pengerang, Johor, Kertih, Terengganu, Gebeng, Pahang, Bintulu, Sarawak, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
Malaysia is hot and humid, so check the stated operating temperature range, ingress protection rating and battery behaviour at the top of that range. Offshore and coastal sites also add salt-laden air, which makes sealed connectors and charging contacts worth checking.
Petronas and its operating companies typically apply their own site procedures on top of national law, including permit-to-work and device registration. Requirements vary by facility and contractor, so ask the site HSE office for its current device and induction rules.
Radio equipment is regulated separately from explosion protection. The programme lists MCMC certification through SIRIM QAS for the communications side, alongside IECEx for the hazardous area side, and both are in progress. Check with your supplier and the site operator which evidence your site requires before enrolling any device.
More on Malaysia, and on other places in Malaysia.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.
