By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 31: The proposed Sarawak Cancer Centre is one of five major healthcare facilities across Malaysia that will be prioritised under a RM40 billion allocation for the healthcare sector in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).
Tabling the 13MP in the Dewan Rakyat today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the allocation, spanning from 2026 to 2030, is aimed at addressing growing strains on the public healthcare system and ensuring better access, affordability, and quality of medical services nationwide.
“This includes measures to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses borne by the people, and to provide inclusive and sustainable healthcare access for all Malaysians,” he said in his speech text.
Besides the Sarawak Cancer Centre, the four other facilities to be constructed or upgraded are Tuanku Ja’afar 2 Hospital in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan; Sultanah Aminah 2 Hospital in Johor Bahru; Northern Region Cancer Centre in Sungai Petani, Kedah; and Sabah Heart Centre at Hospital Queen Elizabeth II in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
These projects are part of the government’s broader healthcare reform agenda, which also includes enhancing the domestic production of medicines, increasing the use of generic drugs in public and private sectors, and fortifying the nation’s medical supply chain.
Anwar also outlined the government’s intent to curb the alarming rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by expanding pro-health taxes beyond sugary products to include tobacco, vape, and alcohol.
“This is not just about generating revenue, but to encourage behavioural change and curb the worrying rise in NCD cases,” he said.
To address human capital challenges, a national healthcare workforce development framework will be introduced, covering pre-service training, licensing, recruitment, placement, and long-term career development to retain talent within the public health system.
In tandem with physical upgrades, the government will accelerate the digital transformation of the healthcare sector.
“Efforts will focus on strengthening health record management and achieving system-wide interoperability to enable the seamless sharing of patient information across facilities.
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) will also be integrated into data analytics to support higher-impact decision-making as part of the efforts to improve the quality of healthcare for the people,” he added. — DayakDaily
