PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) will march from the Health Ministry building to the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya, in protest of the new law mandating the display of price lists at private healthcare facilities that would come into effect on May 1.
The "Doctors Betrayed: The Long Walk to Putrajaya" march organised by the MMA is set to take place on May 6.
“We demand consultation. We demand Justice. Join the march. Make your voice heard,” read the poster of the march.
Sources close to the development told The Star that the association was pooling all resources for the march, adding that most state chapters would participate.
In a post on X, the medical group said that they were demanding consultation and justice from the government.
“We demand consultation. We demand justice. @anwaribrahim-hear us,” they said in the post in which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was tagged.
The move met with a lot of resistance from private healthcare groups who said that it will increase their cost and administrative work.
The Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Price Marking for Drugs) order, which mandates that private healthcare providers display medicine prices, has been gazetted.
The order under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act was signed by Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Ali.
Individual healthcare providers who fail to comply with the provisions of the order would be subject to a fine of up to RM50,000.
As for corporate bodies, they would be liable to a fine of up to RM100,000.
According to the order, for drugs that are visible to customers and are kept on display, there must be a price tag or label.
For those that are kept behind the counter or not visible to customers, a price list must be prepared.
The price list would also contain information such as the generic name or active ingredient of the drug, strength, trade name and the selling price per unit, per unit weight or the measure of the drug.
The price list would have to be displayed in a physical form such as through electronic media, electronic screens and any suitable tools and devices.
The condition is the price list must be accessible and visible to consumers.
