The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) wishes to thank Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad for his response to our joint memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on May 6, 2025, which the prime minister has graciously acknowledged and requested for urgent action.
We welcome the health minister’s commitment to addressing the concerns outlined in our memorandum, particularly our request to place the medicine price display policy under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586), rather than the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723) — an Act that was never intended to regulate professional medical services, nor designed to recognise the unique role and operations of clinics within the nation’s health care landscape.
Hence while doctors fully support price transparency, we strongly maintain that all health care-related policies must be implemented and enforced under the purview of the Ministry of Health (MOH).
While we respect the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living’s (KPDN) role in regulating the retail sector, it is important to recognise that healthcare is not retail. Clinics provide essential, expert-driven services built on trust and ethical duty, not commercial transactions.
Applying retail-based policies to medical practice risks compromising the quality and integrity of care Malaysians deserve. Health care policies must reflect these critical differences.
To avoid disputes and legal ambiguities that may arise from overlapping legislation if the gazette placing clinics under Act 723 (gazetted on April 29, 2025, and in force from May 1, 2025) remains in effect, it is crucial that the government simultaneously ensures the de-gazettement of clinics being under Act 723 once the medicine price display policy is formally brought under the ambit of Act 586, which we hope will take place as soon as possible.
We also thank the health minister for the update on the review of private general practitioners’ (GPs) consultation fees under the 7th Schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586). These fees have remained unchanged for over 33 years, despite a significant rise in operational costs over the period.
We have submitted our request to the MOH, providing a rationale for the long-overdue revision of private GP consultation fees. We look forward with hope for a fair revision that reflects current economic realities, the challenges faced by private practitioners, and the essential role of GPs in safeguarding public health.
We also hope that the other concerns highlighted in our memorandum, such as the issue of the increasing role and impact of unregulated third-party administrators (TPAs) within the health care ecosystem, will be given similar urgency and addressed promptly.
As health care demands continue to rise, it is crucial that the MOH and the government take swift action to ensure the sustainability of private primary care services.
This statement was issued by Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira, president of the Malaysian Medical Association.
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