On 29 May 2025, Universiti Malaya hosted the National Healthcare Forum 2.0, themed “Counting the Cost of Care: Can Malaysia Make Healthcare Affordable Again?” Organised entirely by the Undergraduate Student Union, the forum demonstrated the power of student leadership in convening national-level dialogue on urgent healthcare issues. Despite initial logistical setbacks, the student team delivered a high-calibre event that brought together current and former health policymakers, clinical and public health leaders, insurance industry representatives, patient advocates, and individuals with lived experience.
The distinguished panel featured Khairy Jamaluddin, Dato’ Dr. Lee Boon Chye, Datuk Dr. Thirunavukarasu Rajoo, Mr. Mark O’Dell, Dr. Aneil Moorthy, and Prof. Dr. Nirmala Bhoo Pathy, moderated by Manvir Victor. Discussions focused on the key themes of governance, financing, implementation, and people-centred care.
Former Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin argued for an independent regulatory authority to oversee public hospitals, proposing decentralised decision-making at the hospital level. Dr. Lee Boon Chye called for tangible governance reforms rather than repeated diagnosis of system challenges and ‘firefighting’. Dr. Thirunavukarasu Rajoo made a direct appeal for Parliament to debate and act on the long-standing Health White Paper.
Dr. Aneil Moorthy proposed adapting Singapore’s MediShield Life model to Malaysia, suggesting the use of the EPF (KWSP) as a funding mechanism. He also raised the issue of unsustainably low public healthcare fees. Mr. Mark O’Dell acknowledged how private insurers could take a more proactive role universally, including incentivising wellness and preventive behaviours. Prof. Dr. Nirmala Bhoo Pathy shifted the conversation’s focus by recounting the story of Aisyah, a woman living with cancer who faces hidden costs—long commutes, income loss, caregiving, and red tape. Her intervention grounded the discussion in the human impact of system inefficiencies and emphasised the need for a whole-of-society approach that includes social welfare and care continuity.
The forum’s strength lay in its diversity of perspectives and its grounding in both policy and people’s lived realities. Importantly, the presence of individuals with lived experience namely patients, caregivers and patient support groups, enriched the conversation and underscored the importance of inclusive, people-informed policy development.
Coverage by Malaysiakini, Malaysia Gazette, Berita Harian, and Vital Signs Asia reflected the Forum’s national relevance. Above all, the Forum demonstrated that Universiti Malaya students are not only prepared to lead the healthcare conversations of tomorrow—they are already shaping them today.
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