KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — The planned development of a Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) Hospital will serve as a healthcare hub that could ultimately help bolster the Bumiputera healthcare “value chain”, the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) told Parliament’s House of Representatives this morning.

Deputy Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang said building a dedicated MARA hospital will be part of efforts to empower the Bumiputera agenda and strengthen the country’s healthcare sector “that must move in tandem with present-day needs”.

“The establishment of a MARA hospital is seen as a bold step that adds value to the nation’s healthcare landscape and economic development,” she said during Question Time.

“From the perspective of socioeconomic spillover effects, a MARA hospital has the potential to act as a catalyst for the entire Bumiputera healthcare value chain,” the deputy minister added.

“This encompasses training and career opportunities, the development of specialists and research, innovation, as well as opportunities in laboratory services, pharmaceuticals, medical technology, equipment maintenance, facility management, logistics, and the development of Bumiputera healthcare vendors and entrepreneurs.”

Formed on March 1, 1966, MARA’s primary mandate is to aid, train, and guide Bumiputera to actively participate in and elevate their standing in the nation’s economy, education, and professional sectors.

Its plan to build a hospital was first brought to light by MARA chairman Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, who said a dedicated special task force had been formed to study, plan, and evaluate the feasibility, scope, and structural framework for its first hospital.

Because the project is still in its planning phases, details regarding its exact site and timeline remain under evaluation.

Asyraf said the hospital would be an extension of MARA’s mandate to bolster and empower the Bumiputera education ecosystem, since it has spent decades producing doctors, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, and biomedical engineers.

Many of these professionals come through institutions like Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak (UniKL RCMP) and MARA’s TVET healthcare programs.

After decades of training professionals, the MARA chairman said the body should not just supply manpower to other institutions, but own an official facility where its graduates can serve, undergo clinical training, conduct applied research, and lead the healthcare industry.