GEORGE TOWN, May 11 — Penang recorded strong growth in its medical tourism sector, with foreign patient numbers rising to 527,176 in 2025.
State executive councillor for tourism and creative economy Wong Hon Wai said this represents a 25.94 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
“The increase in medical tourism generated revenue of up to RM1.136 billion, which is a 26.6 per cent annual increase compared to RM898.07 million in 2024,” he told the state legislative assembly today in reply to a question from Ong Ah Teong (PH-Batu Lancang).
He said data from the Penang Centre of Medical Tourism (PMED), covering 16 private hospitals in the state, showed foreign patient numbers stood at 418,608 in 2024.
“For 2025, the number of foreign patients increased to 527,176, representing a rise of 25.94 per cent,” he said.
Wong said ahead of Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism (MYMT) 2026, the state has outlined several strategies to further strengthen the sector.
He said among the initiatives is collaboration with airlines such as AirAsia through the Boarding Pass Privileges programme to attract more medical tourists.
“Through this programme, passengers holding boarding passes from outside Malaysia can enjoy a 15 per cent discount on health screening packages if they hold foreign passports,” he said.
The programme runs from October 1, 2025 until December 31 this year.
He said the state has also introduced payment facilities in patients’ home currencies, including the Indonesian rupiah, through the Quick Response Indonesian Standard (QRIS) code.
“This allows patients to view payment amounts directly in their home currency while also enjoying lower foreign exchange rates compared to using debit or credit cards,” he said.
Wong added that Penang is also actively promoting medical tourism overseas, including in China, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan and Myanmar, in collaboration with Penang Global Tourism, the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council and Tourism Malaysia.
