Deputy minister: MARA Hospital to strengthen Bumiputera healthcare ‘value chain’

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) informed Parliament’s House of Representatives that the planned construction of a Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) Hospital would function as a healthcare hub, potentially enhancing the Bumiputera healthcare "value chain". Deputy Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang explained that building a dedicated MARA hospital is part of initiatives aimed at empowering the Bumiputera agenda and strengthening the country's healthcare sector, which must adapt to current needs.

Wang highlighted that the establishment of a MARA hospital is viewed as a significant step that adds value to the nation's healthcare landscape and economic development. From the perspective of socioeconomic benefits, she stated, the hospital has the potential to act as a catalyst for the entire Bumiputera healthcare value chain, including training and career opportunities, specialist development and research, innovation, laboratory services, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, equipment maintenance, facility management, logistics, and the growth of Bumiputera healthcare vendors and entrepreneurs.

MARA, established on March 1, 1966, is responsible for aiding, training, and guiding Bumiputera in participating in and improving their position in the nation's economy, education, and professional sectors. MARA chairman Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki revealed that a special task force was formed to assess the feasibility, scope, and structural framework for the first hospital.

The project remains in the planning stages, with site and timeline details still under consideration. Asyraf emphasized that the hospital would complement MARA's mandate to strengthen the Bumiputera education ecosystem, as the organization has decades of experience producing doctors, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, and biomedical engineers through institutions such as Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak (UniKL RCMP) and MARA's TVET healthcare programs.

After decades of training professionals, Asyraf argued that MARA should not merely supply manpower to other institutions but should also own an official facility where its graduates can serve, conduct clinical training, perform applied research, and lead the healthcare industry.