On July 6, the Joint Ministerial Committee on Private Healthcare Costs (JMC) announced MediAsas as the brand name of the Base Medical and Health Insurance and Takaful (MHIT) product. 

In general, MediAsas is good public policy and a meaningful product, so Malaysians and Malaysia should welcome it. To elaborate, this op-ed explores the implications of MediAsas, how Malaysia can implement MediAsas more effectively, and how Malaysia can use MediAsas as the foundation stone for future reforms to our health system.

MediAsas: A foundation stone for future health reforms

On March 31, the Gig Workers Act (Act 872) came into force, extending legal protections to about 1.6 million gig workers in Malaysia. The road to this Act was long. Discussions to formalise gig work began as early as 2020/21, well before the bill was tabled in Dewan Rakyat in August 2025. However...

State Of Health: How to expand healthcare coverage for gig workers

Predictions are fraught with uncertainties and imperfect but can help us understand how the Malaysian health system will be financed in 2026 and 2027. We will try to “predict what will happen” instead of “describing what should happen” (which tends to be more idealistic or prescriptive in nature)...

State Of Health: Three predictions for Malaysia’s health system financing in 2026

These are not ordinary times for Malaysia’s health system. In 2025, there are five highly significant policy decisions that may determine the path for the nation’s health system in the coming decades. This article will examine these five policies individually and collectively, assess their pros a...

State of Health: Five recommendations for the nation’s health system until GE16

Over the next two decades, four major structural trends will converge, creating what we (the authors) describe as a “perfect storm” for senior citizens in Malaysia. We believe that this perfect storm requires fundamental solutions, which we will describe in this article.

State Of Health: Reverse annuity solution for seniors with catastrophic illnesses

The global financial crisis of 2008 popularised the term “too big to fail”, which is also an appropriate label for the Malaysian health system. Two other terms that can describe the Malaysian health system are “too big to manage” and “too big to understand”.

State of Health: In 2025 and beyond, there are no magic solutions for healthcare

Funding for Malaysia's healthcare system is currently under significant strain, with annual medical inflation rates of 12%, one of the highest in Southeast Asia. In July 2024, in response to the systemic issue of high medical inflation, Bank Negara Malaysia introduced new co-payment regulations, ...

State Of Health: Using value-based healthcare to transform outcomes

Insurance companies in Asia face three structural challenges in healthcare that are happening all at once. (1) Asians are under-insured, with a massive US$1.8 trillion (RM8.4 trillion) annual health protection gap that must be covered somehow (Swiss Re, 2018); (2) medical costs grew about 40% fas...

State Of Health: Three healthcare strategies for insurers in Asia

We believe that Malaysia needs doctors with high professional, ethical and personal standards to properly care for the health of the rakyat. Therefore, we are writing to discuss three recent healthcare issues that are directly related to the doctors that Malaysians deserve.

Issue 1: Ma...

State Of Health: The doctors that Malaysians deserve

On Dec 5, 2023, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores of 77 countries were released worldwide. PISA is an international study started in 2000 and owned by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a club of 38 high-income countries. Every three y...

State of Health: What PISA education scores can teach health system guardians

MUMBAI (Oct 6): The Indian rupee declined to its weakest level in more than two months on Tuesday under ​pressure from persistent foreign selling of local assets, drawing likely ‌central bank intervention as the South Asian unit nears a record low.

The rupee declined 0.15% to 96.43 per ...

Rupee slips to over 2-month low on portfolio outflows

Sunway Malls has leased 80% of Sunway Ipoh Mall and confirmed 25 brands for the mall, including seven anchor tenants and nine brands making their Perak debut.

Sunway Ipoh Mall 80% leased, 25 tenants confirmed ahead of 4Q2027 opening

Myanmar's coup leader turned president Min Aung Hlaing will visit Malaysia "in the next few days", Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday, after Kuala Lumpur launched a plan to return thousands of Myanmar migrants.

Myanmar leader to visit Malaysia after migrant returns begin

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 6): SLGC Bhd (KL:SLG) ended its first trading day on the ACE Market below its initial public offering (IPO) price.

Construction firm SLGC ends first trading day below IPO price

LONDON (Oct 6): A euro crisis redux with France at its centre would demand a massive response from the European Central Bank to prevent spillovers and insulate the single currency. But a leadership switch at the top of the central bank is looming, which could both complicate that process and...

Opinion: Early ECB leadership change could worsen Paris bond jolt

The heads of two of the Middle East’s biggest oil producers warned that the rest of the world will need to share the burden of paying for the Iran war and the need for infrastructure spending that it’s creating.

Mideast oil chiefs warn world needs to share Iran-War costs

Profits for the US securities industry totalled US$45.9 billion (RM187.5 billion) in the first half of the year, putting it on track for a new annual record, according to a report released on Tuesday by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

Wall Street profits soar to US$45.9b in first half of 2026, report shows

The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) will examine witness statements, closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and various other evidence before deciding on further action in connection with an incident involving Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) director general Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.

Viral KLIA reprimand video: AGC to examine witness statements, evidence before deciding on further action

The Court of Appeal has upheld the High Court's order forfeiting RM4,084,729 belonging to Ammeltz Marketing Sdn Bhd to the government.

Appellate court upholds RM4.08m forfeiture of Ammeltz Marketing funds 

U Mobile Sdn Bhd has achieved 90% coverage of populated areas (CoPA) nationwide, nine months ahead of schedule, said Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil.

Fahmi: U Mobile 5G coverage hits 90%, nine months ahead of schedule

THE ongoing issues at digital services and technology infrastructure provider Zetrix AI Bhd (KL:ZETRIX) could be a long-drawn affair, with managing director Wong Thean Soon, better known as TS Wong, likely to seek legal recourse after recent developments at the company ravaged its share price.</p...

TS Wong could seek legal recourse over issues at Zetrix

Zetrix AI Bhd (KL:ZETRIX) faces uncertainty over its revenue collection business after the Ministry of Transport (MOT) suspended its services as a collection agent for the Road Transport Department (JPJ) over unremitted government funds totalling RM314 million.

Zetrix AI's business continuity uncertain after JPJ suspension — MBSB Research

Top Glove Corporation Bhd (KL:TOPGLOV) said it is confident of weathering industry headwinds ahead after earnings jumped nearly five times in the recently ended quarter.

Ray Dalio warns China, Japan may pull back from US Treasuries

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 6): Malaysian banks are working towards introducing fraud alert capabilities that can flag potential risks before a transaction is completed.

BNM: Banks working towards fraud alert before transaction is completed

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 6): Seven years after Malaysians were made aware of the problems confronting the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), the institution is once again at a crossroads.

Felda’s road ahead in the spotlight

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 6): SLGC Bhd (KL:SLG) ended its first trading day on the ACE Market below its initial public offering (IPO) price.

Here's a heads up on what to look out for today.

YOUR DAY AHEAD: Oct 6, 2026 

<h2>Notable filings</h2>

During the week of Sept 14 to 18, notable shareholding changes among Bursa Malaysia-listed companies included those at D&amp;O Green Technologies Bhd (KL:D&amp;O), where pension fund Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) (KWAP) ceased to be a substan...

Insider Moves: D&O Green Technologies Bhd, EI Power Bhd, MQ Technology Bhd, Sealink International Bhd, Zetrix AI Bhd

Scientex Bhd (KL:SCIENTX) is acquiring 503 acres of land in Pulai, Johor, for RM580 million to boost the property developer’s land bank.

Scientex to acquire 503-acre land in Johor for RM580 mil

The World Bank has flagged the risk of a slowdown from a correction in global artificial intelligence (AI)-related activity, even as it raised Malaysia's 2026 growth outlook to 5.1% from 4.4% previously, driven by surging AI-related spending.&nbsp;

World Bank flags AI correction risk as it lifts Malaysia's 2026 growth outlook to 5.1%

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 6): Rapidus Corporation has roped in Malaysian firms — GreatAsic Technology Sdn Bhd, Infinecs Systems Sdn Bhd, Oppstar Bhd's (KL:OPPSTAR) Oppstar Technology Sdn Bhd&nbsp;and SkyeChip Bhd (KL:SKYECHIP) — as design solution associates to support the development of its global chip ecosystem framework.

Rapidus taps four Malaysian firms as design solution associates for CORE ecosystem

United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Bhd (UOB Malaysia) chief executive officer Datuk Ng Wei Wei&nbsp;climbed 10 rungs to 85th place in this year's Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Asia ranking. &nbsp;&nbsp;

UOB Malaysia CEO Ng Wei Wei climbs 10 rungs in Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Asia ranking

The World Bank has agreed that certain elements of the goods and services tax (GST) should be implemented into Malaysia’s sales and services tax (SST) to address its distortionary features.

World Bank supports Malaysia’s possible integration of GST elements into SST 

Outstanding repayments for loans issued by the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), the country's main tertiary education loan provider, stood at RM10.7 billion as at Aug 31.

PTPTN loan arrears hit RM10.7b as at Aug 31 — minister

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 6): Five of the nine technology drivers identified under the National Technology Sovereignty Framework (NTSF) have been deemed critical to national sovereignty and possess strong commercial potential.

Mosti: Five technology drivers identified as critical to Malaysia's sovereignty

SYDNEY (Oct 6): Asian stocks rose on Tuesday after a tech-fuelled rally lifted the Nasdaq to a record close, with a retreat in oil prices offering further support even as longer-dated Treasury yields hovered near multi-decade highs.

Asian shares track Wall Street higher, Treasury yields near multi-decade highs

BENGALURU/SINGAPORE (Oct 6): Oil prices made slight gains on Tuesday as security concerns in the Middle East kept a geopolitical risk premium in the market, even as resilient regional crude exports and a G7 emergency stockpile release eased supply concerns.

Oil gains as traders weigh Gulf tensions against strong Mideast exports

BENGALURU (Oct 5): Data centre operator DayOne Data Centers filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States on Monday, testing investor appetite for data-centre listings amid challenging market conditions.

Data centre operator DayOne reveals revenue surge in US IPO filing

CIMB Group Holdings Bhd (KL:CIMB) is exploring a sale of its business in the Philippines as part of efforts to streamline and focus on bigger markets for growth, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Khor Swee Kheng

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Khor Swee Kheng

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