KUALA LUMPUR — Private doctors say Malaysia’s long-suppressed consultation fees have distorted healthcare costs for decades, forcing clinics to recover expenses through medication markups rather than fair professional charges.
Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo said the recent revision to general practitioner (GP) consultation rates could finally help rebalance prices — but stressed that the move will not reduce patient spending overnight.
“Everything has gone up in price, but we couldn’t raise fees. So, many clinics started pushing medicine prices instead,” Dr Arasu said on Scoop Insight, a podcast by PodaBoom, recently.
“Now, with the new ceiling, consultation rates may increase gradually — perhaps to RM50 — while medicine costs drop to balance it out.”
He added that doctors remain mindful of affordability, noting that most clinics are unlikely to impose sharp fee increases.
“Even if you give a ceiling of RM200, nobody will charge that much. Malaysians have options — they can clinic-hop or go to public clinics. If we overcharge, patients won’t come back.”
The government’s decision, announced under Budget 2026, marks the first adjustment to private GP fees in 33 years — raising the allowable range from RM10–35 to RM35–80 per consultation.
While the MMA welcomed the long-overdue change, Dr Arasu emphasised that the revision does not involve government funding, meaning patients themselves will bear the cost.
“This is the first time since 2006 that a government has shown the political will to act on this,” he said.
“The Health Minister (Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad) understood the strength of primary care, and the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) supported it. But the money isn’t coming from the budget — it’s from the patients.”
He warned that the outdated fee structure had already pushed many clinics to the brink.
“From over 10,000 clinics nationwide, about 30% are bleeding, another 30% are just breaking even. Only 40% are doing well,” he said.
The MMA had earlier described the new rates as “deeply disappointing”, arguing that the RM10 floor still undervalues the role of GPs and proposing instead a minimum of RM50.
Dr Arasu said the bigger concern now lies in sustainability and reform.
“We know the problem. We know the solution. We just have to do it,” he said. “Without enough doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, upgrading hospitals won’t fix the system.” — October 30, 2025