Fundraiser dinner for Malaysian Children's Hospice on August 1
Published on: Fri, Jul 11, 2025
By: Lorena Binisol Text Size: For more information, the public can contact Dr Brandon at 016-6404514 or e-mail [email protected]. Kota Kinabalu: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and Malaysian Association of Paediatric Palliative Care (MAPPAC) are organising a charity dinner on Aug 1 Themed 'Every Child Matters', the event hopes to assist on the urgent need for specialised care for children with life-limiting illnesses. It will be held at the Hilton Hotel Kota Kinabalu, aimed at raising funds and awareness for the establishment of the first Malaysian Children's Hospice (MCH) in the State. 'The dinner aims to raise funds to build Sabah's first Children's Hospice, a crucial service to ensure that no child is left behind in receiving compassionate care,' said Dr Brandon Patrick Senagang, Vice Chairman of MMA Sabah. 'Please support us by joining the event, it will be a night of entertainment and an opportunity to better understand paediatric palliative care,' he said. He added that the hospice would be a nurse-led centre offering specialised care, essential medical equipment, training tools, and resources for families in need. MMA President Dato' Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira is expected to attend the event. Dr Ng Su Fang, Vice President of MAPPAC, emphasized the importance of collaboration in ensuring long-term support for affected families. 'Paediatric palliative care goes beyond medical treatment. It's about dignity, love and holistic emotional support,' she stressed. She added it is part of a growing network that includes similar hospices in Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak (Sibu) and Penang. Meanwhile, 20 cyclists have signed up for the Sepeda Amal Borneo (SAB2025) charity ride, themed 'Pedal for Care, Ride for Hope', which will span 600km from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu, running from July 27 to Aug 1. The event is also part of efforts to raise funds for the children's hospice. For more information, the public can contact Dr Brandon at 016-6404514 or e-mail [email protected]. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
MMA: Doctor shortage, healthcare reform must top agenda
PETALING JAYA: Addressing the shortage of doctors must be a top priority in the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) as well as a focus on strategies to retain health workers and for a healthcare financing model, say stakeholders and experts. Future-proofing the workplace to account for older workers is also important, they said. Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said the 13MP should be a turning point for Malaysia's healthcare system, with the next five years focused on making it more resilient, fair and sustainable for all. 'Addressing the shortage of doctors must be a top priority, especially in the public sector. 'This goes beyond increasing the number of doctors. It also involves ensuring adequate distribution across urban and rural areas, improving career security and aligning training with national healthcare needs,' he said in an interview. The 13MP, according to MMA, should also include long-term strategy to expand and retain the healthcare workforce as well as measures to address burnout, improve working conditions and the creation of more permanent career pathways. 'It is also time that the government abolish the contract system and go back to offering permanent positions to all doctors joining the system to retain our healthcare workforce,' Dr Kalwinder said. He added that more should also be done to accelerate the adoption of digital health infrastructure such as the use of electronic medical records, and for a stronger public-private partnership to tackle the rising burden of non-communicable diseases. MMA also calls for greater investment in postgraduate medical training to boost the number of specialists and the development of a sustainable national healthcare financing framework. 'These are not just aspirations. They are essential reforms for the health and well-being of future generations,' said the MMA president. Dr Kalwinder said several critical goals from the 12MP remain unrealised or only partially fulfilled, including the digitisation of the health care services and deeper public-private collaboration. 'While progress is still ongoing, the pace has been slow and often fragmented. The 13MP must provide clear timelines, accountability mechanisms and political will to accelerate reforms in these areas. 'Without this, the gaps in our healthcare system will only widen,' he said. Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman urges the government to shift its focus towards future-proofing the economy, transforming public healthcare and strengthening human capital to meet future global challenges. 'To remain relevant in an era of artificial intelligence (AI), green transition and digital globalisation, 13MP must prioritise human capital development, including through the reskilling and upskilling of our workforce. 'National reskilling programmes in critical sectors such as AI, cybersecurity and healthcare should be systematically expanded in alignment with industry needs,' said Syed Hussain. To drive long-term economic competitiveness, the 13MP, he said, must promote good governance through a whole government implementation mechanism, with clear KPI driven delivery frameworks across ministries and agencies. 'As Malaysia moves towards an ageing society phase, the 13MP must also address structural trends proactively,' he said. It also calls for flexible employment, phased retirement, part-time work and project based consulting roles for older workers. 'MEF stresses that the country cannot afford to lose the experience, skills and contribution of older citizens. 'We need to encourage employers to adopt ergonomically safe, inclusive and multigenerational work environments,' said Syed Hussain. For Malaysia to compete in the global economy, he said a healthy and resilient workforce was essential. 'Future-proofing our skilled workforce must include a strong healthcare support system that enables our workers to stay productive. 'MEF urges the government to integrate strategic health workforce development into 13MP as part of a broader productivity and human capital transformation agenda,' he said. Health economist Prof Dr Maznah Dahlui of Universiti Malaya suggested the government align the 13MP with the Health White Paper. The Health White Paper, aimed at future-proofing Malaysia's healthcare system over the next 15 years, was passed by Parliament in June 2023. 'It should be about the realisation of (strategies) of the health white paper, and the reinvention of the healthcare system as well as to overcome issues faced for sustainability. It is all there,' she said. Public health expert Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said the government should look into increasing allocation for health in order to prioritise infrastructure, elderly care and issues related to preventive health. 'It should also be focused on addressing issues related to NCDs linked to ageing. It will be good if there is a new model of health care infrastructure using digital technology,' he said.
Borneo Post
a day ago
- Borneo Post
Medical association urges MoH to halt Poisons Act amendment
According to Dr Kalwinder, the current language in the Bill is 'overly broad-based'. KUCHING (July 27): The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has urged the Ministry of Health (MoH) and MPs to halt further readings of the Poisons (Amendment) Bill 2025 until a thorough consultation process has been undertaken. MMA president Dato Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said the association acknowledged the government's intention of strengthening the enforcement, possibly in response to serious cross-border threats such as drug-smuggling, maritime trafficking or other reasons, which had not been made known. 'However, he argued that if this was the objective, then the reasons must be made clear and the scope of the amendment must be clearly and appropriately defined in the legislation. 'The fact that no consultation was held with medical stakeholders, is a major procedural oversight. 'These are not peripheral changes – they affect the daily operations of thousands of practitioners nationwide,' he said in a statement. According to Dr Kalwinder, the current language in the Bill is 'overly broad-based'. 'Clause 2's inclusion of all police officers as authorised officers and the new Section 31A, which allows the minister to appoint 'any person' without clear qualifications, raises serious concerns about unchecked enforcement power and the potential for disruption to licensed private healthcare facilities including GP (general practitioner's) clinics, mobile services and charity-based health initiatives.' Dr Kalwinder said the MMA was particularly troubled by the expanded definition of 'premises', which could subject legitimate medical facilities to be clumped together with those deemed criminal or non-healthcare related, and thus, subject to similar inspections or enforcement actions. He further pointed out that this would risk not only operational disruptions, but also violations of patients' confidentiality and trust. 'The Act must clearly delineate between enforcement aimed at criminal activity, and regulation of clinical practice. 'Private healthcare facilities are already under the ambit of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586) and enforcement by MoH. 'This should remain as it is,' stressed Dr Kalwinder. Nonetheless, he said MMA remained ready to engage in meaningful dialogue to ensure that public safety and professional integrity would both be protected. amendment lead Malaysian Medical Association Poisons Act
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Discuss Poisons Bill with stakeholders first, urges MMA
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has voiced strong concern over the Poisons (Amendment) Bill 2025, urging the government to halt its progress in Parliament until proper engagement is held with key players. Its president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira ( pic ) said the association, along with other medical professional bodies, was deeply concerned that the Bill had been tabled without prior consultation with key stakeholders, including the MMA. 'We acknowledge the government's intention to strengthen enforcement, possibly in response to serious cross-border threats such as drug smuggling or maritime trafficking. 'However, if this is indeed the rationale, it must be clearly stated and the scope of the amendments appropriately defined in the legislation,' he said in a statement on Friday. Dr Kalwinder said the language of the Bill was overly broad and raised red flags regarding enforcement powers and possible implications on private healthcare services. He pointed specifically to Clause 2, which designates all police officers as authorised officers under the Act, and the proposed Section 31A, which grants the Health Minister power to appoint 'any person' without specifying qualifications. 'These provisions raise serious concerns about unchecked enforcement authority and the potential disruption to legitimate private healthcare services, such as GP clinics, mobile services and charity-based health initiatives,' Dr Kalwinder said. He added that MMA also took issue with the expanded definition of 'premises' in the Bill, saying it could group licensed medical facilities together with non-healthcare-related or even criminal operations under the same enforcement scope. 'These risks are not only operational disruptions but also potential violations of patient confidentiality and public trust,' Dr Kalwinder said. He added that the absence of engagement with the medical fraternity represented a major procedural lapse, especially since the proposed changes would significantly impact the daily operations of thousands of healthcare practitioners nationwide. 'These are not peripheral changes,' he said, adding that the Health Ministry and MPs must delay any further readings of the Bill until a comprehensive consultation is held with the medical profession. Dr Kalwinder said the Act must make a clear distinction between enforcement aimed at criminal activity and regulation of clinical practice. He noted that private healthcare providers are already regulated under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586), with oversight from the Health Ministry. 'This arrangement should remain as it is,' he said as he warned against any overlap or overreach that could disrupt healthcare delivery, while reiterating MMA's readiness to engage in constructive dialogue on the matter.
