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

KUALA LUMPUR, September 24 — The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) has pressed the government to boost funding for the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and two other crucial healthcare entities in the upcoming Budget 2027. In a press release today, APHM president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh warned that insufficient financial support for these key bodies could compromise patient safety and the nation's healthcare reputation.

The MMC, a statutory authority that licenses doctors, enforces professional conduct, and adjudicates disciplinary matters, plays a vital role in maintaining public trust in the medical system. Without sufficient funding, it risks slow disciplinary processes, weakened enforcement, and reduced capacity to handle the growing healthcare sector, according to APHM.

The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) and the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH), which oversees hospital accreditation and quality audits, currently receive no direct government funding. Dr Kuljit highlighted the healthcare tourism sector’s significance, arguing that it contributes substantially to national revenue and should help sustain the regulatory and accreditation institutions that uphold Malaysia's clinical integrity internationally.

The call for increased funding is framed as an urgent patient-safety agenda, not a routine request, coming just over two weeks before the Budget 2027 is presented to Parliament on October 9. Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan had previously suggested that the budget would focus on enhancing the nation's "social floor" and strengthening governance alongside economic growth.