12,575 still waiting for organ transplants as donor numbers rise
KUALA TERENGGANU: The Health Ministry recorded 102 deceased organ donors from January to August this year, up from 89 in 2025, but 12,575 patients remain on the waiting list for new organs as of July.
As of July 2025, 12,575 patients remain waiting for organ transplants in Malaysia, despite 102 deceased organ donors recorded between January and August this year. This represents approximately 1.3 deceased donors per million population, indicating that while public awareness of organ donation has grown, it remains far from satisfactory.
Malaysian authorities, compared to international stats, note that countries like the United Arab Emirates, Spain, and others have higher organ acceptance rates, ranging from 20 to 30 per million population. Deputy Director-General of Health (Medical) Datuk Dr Azman Yacob highlighted that the National Organ Donation Awareness Week (MKPO) 2026's theme, "My Heirs, Honour My Pledge," aims to emphasize that a person's wish to donate organs after death is a humanitarian pledge deserving of honor with family support.
Despite about 450,000 individuals registered as organ donors, the number of actual donations remains low due to families' final say on the donation process post-death. Dr Azman stressed that family awareness is crucial to honoring donors' wishes, as brain death or other causes render individuals incapable of making the decision.
Terengganu was selected as the host of this year's MKPO due to the East Coast states' encouraging progress in organ and tissue donation. The Health Ministry plans to enhance organ donor numbers through the National Transplant Council for better coordination and increased engagement with religious institutions, clarifying that organ donation does not contradict religious requirements.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
