Private hospitals urge government to boost MMC and healthcare watchdog in Budget 2027

A general view of the Ministry of Health headquarters in Putrajaya on April 10, 2025. — Picture by Raymond Manuel

By Malay Mail

First Published: Thursday, 24 Sep 2026 10:06 AM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 — The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) has urged the government to increase federal funding for the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), warning that persistent underinvestment in the medical regulator threatens to weaken oversight and undermine public trust in the healthcare system.

In a press statement today, APHM president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said budgetary allocations must be enhanced for the MMC, the statutory body responsible for regulating medical practitioners and upholding professional ethics, alongside the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC).

A third critical body, the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH), which oversees nationwide hospital accreditation and quality audits, currently receives no direct government funding at all.

“Sustained underinvestment in these institutions risks weakening oversight, compromising quality assurance processes, and eroding the standards that patients and the public depend on,” the statement said.

The appeal arrives just over two weeks before Budget 2027 is tabled in Parliament on October 9.

Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan previously indicated that the upcoming national budget will emphasise raising the nation’s “social floor” and strengthening institutional governance alongside economic growth priorities.

APHM said the call was as an urgent patient-safety agenda rather than a routine administrative appeal.

The MMC’s core functions, which include licensing doctors, enforcing professional conduct, and adjudicating disciplinary inquiries, form the bedrock of patient confidence in medical competency and accountability.

The association argued that a resource-constrained regulator faces the risk of protracted disciplinary timelines, weaker compliance enforcement, and diminished operational bandwidth to keep pace with a rapidly expanding healthcare sector.

Dr Kuljit also linked the funding shortfall to the wider medical tourism economy, contending that an industry generating significant national revenue must reinvest in the regulatory ecosystem that guarantees its global reputation.

He highlighted the healthcare travel sector as a “consistent and growing contributor to national revenue,” arguing that economic value generated by the industry should help sustain the regulatory and accreditation institutions that establish Malaysia’s clinical credibility abroad.

“Ensuring adequate funding for these bodies is a necessary investment in patient safety, professional accountability, and public trust,” the statement said, cautioning that without adequate financial backing, the ability to “maintain rigorous standards, enforce governance, and continuously improve care delivery will be significantly constrained.”

APHM added that it “stands ready to work collaboratively with the Ministry of Health and relevant stakeholders” to establish sustainable financial support for the three institutions.