THE success of Johor’s free medicine-by-post initiative has prompted the Federal Government to adopt the model for a nationwide rollout.
Yong Peng assemblyman Ling Tian Soon said Putrajaya’s move would make healthcare more convenient for patients, particularly senior citizens, those with mobility issues and individuals requiring long-term medication.
Although the “Ubat Melalui Pos” (UMP) programme has been available nationwide for years, the Johor government stepped in to fully fund the delivery costs for its residents in August 2024.
“This is to ensure patients can receive their medication more easily.
“Before that, patients had to pay for the delivery themselves,” Ling said in a social media post.
“Johor is currently the only state to subsidise the cost of medicine delivery through PosLaju, saving patients from making repeated trips to hospitals or clinics,” said Ling.
The service has seen a steady rise in registrations.
Of the 80,000 medicine deliveries recorded nationwide each month, Ling said approximately 25,000 originated from Johor, reflecting strong local demand.
To support the initiative, Johor allocated RM900,000 in 2024 and increased its commitment to RM2.1mil under the Johor Budget 2026.
“We welcome the Federal Government’s recent announcement to fully bear the cost of UMP nationwide.
“This will allow the state allocation to be redirected towards other healthcare improvements, including upgrading facilities, improving medical equipment and expanding public health programmes,” said Ling.
He said healthcare should not be confined to clinics and hospitals but brought directly to the community through accessible, user-friendly channels.
“The adoption of this policy at the national level proves that when a good initiative is implemented effectively in Johor, its benefits can be expanded for all Malaysians,” he added.
The Federal Government announced on June 15 that it was planning a nationwide rollout of the free UMP programme, removing postal delivery costs for all patients.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil stated that his ministry and Health Ministry were finalising arrangements to strengthen the scheme.
Funded through federal allocations, the national programme is estimated to cost RM5.69mil annually.
