PUTRAJAYA, May 6 — Hundreds of private medical practitioners gathered outside the Prime Minister’s Office this morning to protest the mandatory drug price display ruling that came into effect on May 1.
Clad in black, the attendees held up red, blue, and black placards with messages such as “Doctors have families too,” “GPs support fair drug pricing. Reject Act 723,” and “Unfair fees and policies are driving doctors away.”
MMA in a statement last night, said that while doctors support the principle of price transparency, they oppose the use of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 (Act 723) for enforcing medicine price displays. Instead, they are calling for the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586) to be used.
What the doctors are opposing:
- The use of Act 723 — The Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 to enforce the display of medicine prices.
- Overregulation — Being subject to both Act 723 and Act 586, which could result in enforcement overlaps.
- Application of a non-medical law — Act 723 was designed for retail businesses, not for healthcare settings.
- Potential disruption — The overlap may cause confusion and disrupt primary healthcare services.
What the doctors are calling for:
- Use of Act 586 instead — The Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998, which specifically governs the medical profession.
- Constructive engagement — Meaningful dialogue between the government and stakeholders to resolve the issue.
- Transparent pricing via proper legislation — Doctors support price transparency but insist it be implemented through Act 586.
- Clarity in regulation — A consistent legal framework to avoid duplication and ensure effective healthcare delivery.
The associations will hand over a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office after the assembly.
The gathering, organised by the MMA, drew participation from 15 medical associations nationwide, including the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia (AFPM), the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM), and others.
After handing over a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office, MMA President-Elect Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo told a press conference that professional medical services should not be equated with the sale of goods.
“We are a professional service, meaning we provide a service to a patient. A patient goes through a journey. From registration, to seeing the doctor, receiving advice, undergoing a physical examination, maybe even some investigations, and finally receiving a diagnosis. That’s a process.
“If we compare this to a retail shop or a pharmacy, each has its own role. A retail shop sells goods. We provide a professional service,” he said.
Dr Thirunavukarasu added that opening a clinic requires nearly a decade of education and training, including A-levels, five to six years of medical school, and four years of clinical practice, making it a highly demanding path that consumes a person’s prime years, unlike the low barrier to entry for starting a retail business.
“That’s why you simply cannot equate professional services with selling goods. That’s the point,” he said.
Dr Thirunavukarasu stressed that existing laws already uphold a patient’s right to be informed of the costs involved in medical services.
“So that’s why we feel disappointed, why was this suddenly done? The medical profession is one of the oldest in the world and has always practiced transparency, as it is built on the doctor-patient relationship. There is already an existing law, the Medical Act 1971, to regulate this relationship,” he added.
When asked about the consultation fee issue, Dr Thirunavukarasu said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad is looking into it.
“We have been communicating with the minister, all we know is that he’s actually looking into it. So the details we have no idea,” he said.
The organisations initially planned to march for 2.3km from the Health Ministry’s headquarters to the Prime Minister’s Office, but the decision was revised due to the presence of elderly participants and advice from the police.
Dr Thirunavukarasu said the assembly today emphasised the importance of primary care, trusting the government will take the right action without pressure or demands from the organisations.
