KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 4): The government on Wednesday announced the formation of an independent board to provide leadership, oversight, and monitoring of MediAsas plans moving forward.
The board comprises Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Norma Mansor as its chairman, public health expert Professor Dr Elil Renganathan, corporate executives Datuk Hamidah Naziadin, Ivan Loh Ee Hoe, and Serena Thio Hui Ming, and medical specialist Professor Dr Woo Yin Ling.
The board will also include ex-officio representatives from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance and Bank Negara Malaysia. The MediAsas Office will be operated by ProtectHealth Corporation set up under the Ministry of Health.
“Our healthcare reforms must ultimately deliver better outcomes for patients,” Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said in a statement. “The board will play an important role in ensuring MediAsas remains anchored on this purpose.”
MediAsas, part of a major overhaul of Malaysia’s private healthcare system, is now undergoing a pilot programme for the basic medical and health insurance and takaful plan. The nationwide launch is slated for the end of January 2027 with monthly premiums starting from around RM60.
To support MediAsas, the government has announced measures under Budget 2027 that includes income tax relief for premiums and an allocation of RM40 million to encourage coverage among employees of small- to medium-sized businesses.
MediAsas’s board will be supported by global expert adviser Dr Winnie Yip, a global health policy and economics expert, and technical adviser Datuk Jessica Chew, a former deputy governor of Bank Negara Malaysia.
The board’s “diverse expertise will guide MediAsas as it moves from pilot to nationwide implementation, while ensuring that MediAsas continues to serve as a catalyst for ongoing healthcare reforms”, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan added in the same statement.