PETALING JAYA: Malaysians have been urged to do regular health screenings as an early preventive measure to avoid late-stage cancer detection.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said records show that more than 50,000 new cancer cases are reported every year in Malaysia, with the majority only detected at Stage Three or Four.
“This means that patients are already at an advanced stage by the time a diagnosis is made,” he said during the Bald and Beautiful Day 2025 event at Lakeside Mall, Elmina, yesterday.
He pointed out that breast, colorectal, lung and prostate cancers are among the most frequently diagnosed in Malaysia.
He expressed hope that the Finance Ministry will allocate sufficient funds for the health sector in Budget 2026, which is set to be tabled on Oct 10.
“Typically, we are among the top two ministries receiving the largest allocations. This year, we received RM45.27bil,” he said.
Dzulkefly said numerous screening initiatives have been jointly conducted by the National Cancer Society of Malaysia and several non-governmental organisations.
“The Health Ministry is also carrying out screenings through the Peka B40 and National Health Screening Initiative programmes.
“Our goal is to reach more than one million screenings to enable early detection of chronic diseases,” he said.
He added that efforts to raise awareness on the importance of regular health screenings through community-level programmes should be further expanded.
Previously, the Health Ministry reported that over 60% of cancer patients in Malaysia were diagnosed at late stages (Stage Three and Four), leading to limited treatment options, emotional stress, financial burden on families, and straining the national healthcare system.
Dzulkefly said this year’s Bald and Beautiful Day event exceeded its fundraising target, collecting about RM320,000 to assist cancer patients.
“The programme not only managed to raise over RM320,000, but also saw the participation of 267 individuals.
“More importantly, it served as a platform to raise awareness and health literacy on cancer,” he said.
