For most categories, yes, they are. But that’s half the story. Because at the same time TikTok is raising commission on fashion, beauty and electronics, it’s cutting commission to zero on around a hundred essential categories, and putting a quarter of a billion ringgit back into Malaysian sellers. If you sell food and FMCG, your fees are moving the opposite way to the headlines.
Here’s what’s actually happening, and what to do about it.
What TikTok announced
Through its #JomLokal program, a cost-of-living relief partnership with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), TikTok Shop Malaysia has committed up to RM250 million to local sellers in 2026. It started as an RM180 million relief package in June and was extended in August as “JomLokal Booster 2.0” (launched at the TikTok Shop Summit, with the opening officiated by the Prime Minister).
What’s in it, from TikTok’s own newsroom:
- 0% platform commission extended across essential sub-categories now covering roughly a hundred categories in total.
- An RM2-per-order rebate on standard shipping, nationwide.
- Expanded logistics: Sea Shipping for East Malaysia and more self-collection points.
- A “JomLokal Club” with matchmaking, training and state-vs-state seller competitions.
And the result TikTok reports: #JomLokal sellers grew sales 140% year-on-year (June 2026 vs June 2025), across a program it says supports 400,000 local sellers and creators and 800,000 products.
So when you read “commission is going up on 31 October,” the honest version is: it’s going up for most, and to zero for essentials. The 31 October revision and the JomLokal relief are two sides of the same coin.
Why it matters for Malaysian brands
Two reasons.
First, the obvious one: if you sell essentials, check your category before you reprice. I’ve watched sellers raise prices “because TikTok put fees up” when their actual category just dropped to 0% commission. That’s handing margin straight to a competitor who read the fine print. Pull your own category’s before-and-after in Seller Center; don’t price off the headline.
Second, and bigger: look at why TikTok is spending RM250 million here. The same announcements made the growth engine explicit: in Malaysia, almost 6 in 10 TikTok Shop users now say they prefer LIVE shopping, LIVE sales are up 48% year-on-year, and LIVE already drives close to a third of all sales on the platform. The fastest-growing categories year-on-year were automotive (+70%), household appliances (+58%), pet supplies (+57%), home improvement (+47%), baby and maternity (+45%).
That’s the real signal under the fee noise. TikTok Shop is subsidising the categories and the formats that pull the widest audience onto the platform. Discovery commerce is where the growth is, and they’re paying to accelerate it right before 9.9, 11.11 and 12.12.
Take part in TikTok Jom Lokal Program
If you’re a Malaysian brand, here’s where I’d put this week’s attention:
- Confirm your commission reality. Whether your category goes up, down or to zero on 31 October decides your 11.11 pricing. Reprice backward from margin on the new numbers, not the old ones.
- Claim the relief if it’s yours. If you sell essentials, make sure you register and sign up for the Jom Lokal 0% categories and the shipping rebate.
- Build a LIVE motion now, not on 11.11 day. If a third of platform sales run through LIVE and most shoppers prefer it, a brand with no LIVE presence is sitting out a third of the market. Start the reps before the mega-sale so you’re not going live cold on the biggest day of the quarter.
- Match the growth categories. If you’re in automotive, appliances, pet, home improvement or baby and maternity, the platform tailwind is already behind you.
If you want a quick read on where your TikTok Shop stands, grab your free TikTok Shop Health Checkup.