KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) has temporarily suspended all Flying Doctor Service (FDS) operations in Sarawak following Tuesday’s fatal helicopter crash in Long Lellang, Ulu Baram.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the suspension would allow the relevant parties to investigate and review the service’s safety and operational mechanisms.
“All FDS operations in Sarawak have been temporarily suspended, to allow for investigations and reviews of the safety and operational mechanisms by the relevant parties,” Dzulkefly said in a statement today.
The FDS also operates in Sabah and other remote areas across Peninsula Malaysia. MOH’s statement today specifically refers to the temporary suspension of FDS operations in Sarawak.
Bernama reported that Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) CEO Captain Norazman Mahmud said Layang-Layang Aerospace Sdn Bhd, which operates the helicopter, had voluntarily grounded its entire fleet of BO-105 helicopters and other aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce 250-series engines as a precautionary safety measure following the FDS crash.
Norazman said the decision was voluntary and should not be interpreted as an indication of technical failure. He told reporters this when met at the Malaysia Aviation Safety Seminar (MASS) 2026 earlier today.
Layang-Layang Aerospace’s parent company, Hubline Bhd, confirmed in a filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday that its subsidiary operated the helicopter involved in the fatal accident at Long Lellang STOLport on September 8.
Hubline, a ship chartering company, did not mention the grounding in its filing. It said Layang-Layang Aerospace had activated its Emergency Response Plan and was working closely with the relevant authorities, including the Air Accident Investigation Bureau under the Transport Ministry, while providing all possible assistance.
In his statement, Dzulkefly said MOH’s emergency medical evacuation (Medevac) services, however, would continue through its cooperation with the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department.
The health ministry will also hold further discussions with the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) on potentially using its assets to transport patients requiring emergency treatment to suitable health facilities.
MOH will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the FDS service delivery framework in Sarawak, including its contracts, governance, operational safety, coverage requirements and the effectiveness of its existing service delivery model.
Dzulkefly said the assessment would help ensure that its future approach is safer, more resilient, sustainable and responsive to the health care needs of communities in Sarawak’s interior.
MOH is also reassessing the locations and methods of access to FDS services, including alternative modes of transport and other approaches that are considered safe and practical, to ensure communities in the interior continue to have access to health care services.
“The safety of personnel and patients remains MOH’s priority, while also ensuring the continuity of health care service delivery to communities in the interior areas,” Dzulkefly said.
The ministry acknowledged that the temporary suspension could create difficulties for communities dependent on the service, but said it would continue monitoring the situation and provide further updates to the public.
The move follows a call yesterday by Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) for a temporary suspension of the FDS pending full inspections of helicopters, facilities, maintenance records and operational procedures.
The Malayan Nurses Union (MNU) also called for comprehensive safety checks of aircraft, while stressing that the service should continue to ensure remote communities do not lose access to health care.
Dzulkefly told a press conference yesterday that MOH would “double down” on continuing the FDS, which he described as important for achieving universal health coverage. He said then that there was “no reason or need” for the service to be suspended.
The FDS provides health care services to communities in remote and interior areas with limited access to fixed health facilities.
The statement comes two days after a helicopter carrying four MOH health workers and a pilot crashed during an FDS mission in Long Lellang, killing all five people on board.
