On this 11th Malaysia DrsDay, doctors nationwide are renewing their call for united action among health care professionals, workers’ unions, consumer groups, and the Malaysian public, to press the government for laws that protect patients’ and workers’ rights to safe, ethical, and appropriate medical care.
Since 2000, the unchecked influence of Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) has resulted in rationed treatment, interference with medical judgment, and a loss of patient trust.
These practices endanger lives and violate fundamental principles of medical ethics and consumer protection.
Act Now For Better Patient Care
DrsDay Malaysia 2025 carries a clear message: Act now for better patient care.
Doctors must resist contractual controls that compromise clinical independence and the sanctity of the doctor–patient relationship, which is the cornerstone of safe and ethical medicine.
Although the Consumer Protection Act 1999 covers medical and health care contracts, unregulated MCOs and TPAs continue to issue unlawful directives — dictating treatments, restricting medications, and denying patient choice.
Such commercial interference places profit above patient welfare.
Doctors are reminded that medical indemnity insurance does not protect those who knowingly engage in unlawful or unethical arrangements.
Compliance with improper MCO or TPA terms may expose doctors to personal legal liability. We must unite to uphold integrity, protect our patients, and reject any system that undermines professional ethics.
A Call To The Government
All stakeholders must urge the government to act decisively and without delay to:
- Enforce binding regulations under Act 599 (Consumer Protection Act) to prohibit unsafe and unfair medical contracts.
- Enact a national code of conduct for MCOs and TPAs to ensure transparency, accountability, and patient safety.
- Strengthen enforcement of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act (PHFSA) to protect clinical independence.
- Establish clear accountability mechanisms for harm caused by cost-containment or rationing practices.
Malaysia cannot continue to tolerate a system where corporate middlemen dictate medical care and deny or delay treatment deemed necessary by doctors.
A Message To Employers
Employers and corporate leaders must recognise that workers’ health is their most valuable asset. Do not allow third-party administrators to shortchange employees or deny them appropriate care.
Productivity and loyalty grow when workers know their well-being is respected and protected.
A Message To The Public, Workers, And Consumer Bodies
Access to compassionate and appropriate medical care is a basic right, not a commodity. We call on trade unions, employee federations, and consumer organisations to join this movement to end unsafe rationing and opaque managed care practices.
Every Malaysian must retain the right to choose their doctor, receive the care they need, and be treated with dignity.
The Time For Action Is Now
For over 20 years, doctors have appealed for regulation of MCOs. In 2023, more than 2,000 doctors petitioned the Prime Minister, yet key questions remain:
- Have patients’ rights been protected?
- Have MCOs been made accountable?
- Have unsafe and unfair practices been stopped?
Without urgent reform, Malaysia risks sliding into a profit-driven health care model that undermines ethics and patient safety. The government must act now to protect patients, uphold doctors’ integrity, and preserve access to safe and ethical care for all Malaysians.
Doctors are not asking for privilege — we are asking for protection for our patients. The government must act now to stop commercialised rationing of care before it destroys public trust in health care.
Patients and workers deserve treatment based on need, not the cheapest contract terms.
Dr Steven Chow is the founding chairman of DrsDay Malaysia and past president of Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations, Malaysia (FPMPAM).
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
