We, DRSforALL, from the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM), categorically reject the misleading accusations made in the May 31, 2025 joint statement by the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) and several allied civil society groups.
Private general practitioners (GPs) have long served as a critical pillar of Malaysia’s community health care system. From pioneering the nation’s first community-based heroin addiction treatment programmes in 2002—at our own cost and having treated over 40,000 individuals and connecting them back with their families and community—to offering street-level emergency care during sociopolitical crises and serving at the frontline during the Covid-19 pandemic, our commitment to public service and social justice has never wavered.
In 1998, when the infamous “black eye” incident occurred, it was the doctors who first raised the alarm. In 2018, when the then newly elected government appealed for financial support through its “Tabung Harapan” initiative, our doctors contributed without hesitation.
Our track record is clear.
We played an instrumental role in the success of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme. Since 2019, under the DRSforALL initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH), we have operated a fully NGO-funded voluntary health care service for remote Orang Asli communities—providing free medical and dental care, even during the height of the pandemic.
Additionally, we have partnered with the Malaysian Relief Agency to deliver emergency aid to underserved communities during disasters.
Come rain or shine, our doctors continue to serve with one guiding principle: Service Above Self.
It is well established that medicine inherently involves information asymmetry, and that consumer sovereignty in health care is not absolute. The doctor–patient relationship must therefore be based on trust.
Accusations that GPs are profiteering and resisting transparency are unjustified, misleading, and deeply damaging to public confidence in this essential trust.
We support the government’s goal of improving transparency, but this must be implemented within the appropriate legal and clinical frameworks—specifically under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act (Act 586), and not under retail-based legislation like the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act (Act 723).
Medications dispensed in GP clinics are integral components of treatment—not retail consumer goods. Patients already have the right to itemised billing and freedom to choose where to obtain medications, as enshrined in the Malaysian Medical Council’s guidelines—initiatives led by the medical profession itself many years ago.
We urge CAP and its allies to set their priorities straight. For example, a more urgent concern is the alarming lack of effective regulation over nicotine and vape sales.
Vape shops are mushrooming across the country, even as long-established medical clinics are shutting down under the weight of excessive regulation.
In some areas, there are now more vape shops than medical clinics. This is the true public health crisis.
The modest compliance and administrative charges recently introduced by some clinics are a necessary response to the rising costs of clinic operations and increasing regulatory burdens—especially in light of the fact that GP consultation fees have remained unchanged for over 30 years. Expecting clinics to absorb these costs indefinitely is unrealistic.
Allegations of over-prescription and anti-competitive practices are mischievous and entirely unsubstantiated. We challenge CAP to provide evidence and to name the clinics or doctors involved.
We do not condone unethical practices, and any genuine complaints should be addressed through the appropriate professional regulatory bodies—not through sweeping public accusations.
We call on the prime minister and relevant ministries to develop consultative, constructive policies that protect patients without demonising the very doctors who have stood by their patients and rakyat through every national crisis.
Private GPs remain committed to ethical, accessible, and community-rooted care. We will continue to serve the people of Malaysia with integrity and dedication.
This statement was issued by Dr Steven KW Chow, founding chairman of DRSforALL (FPMPAM).
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
