PUTRAJAYA: Veterinary Services Department is mulling a guideline that will serve as a “benchmark” for veterinary treatment fees, says its director-general Datuk Dr Mohd Noor Hisham Mohd Harun.
Acknowledging complaints over the high cost of treatment, Dr Mohd Noor Hisham said currently there are no price controls imposed on the fees that veterinarians can charge.
“We do not control veterinary treatment fees. Meaning, we don't impose price controls. But we're discussing with the Malaysian Small Animal Veterinary Association (MSAVA) and animal practitioners about introducing a guideline (which could serve as) a benchmark,” he said when met at the sidelines of the Malaysian Animal Welfare Regulatory Symposium at the Global Animal Production and Veterinary Industry Summit (GAVIS) 2026 on Wednesday (July 22).
He said its implementation will depend on the outcome of discussions with stakeholders.
“We want engagement because these are the entrepreneurs who run the clinics,” he said.
Dr Noor Hisham also confirmed that the government is reviewing registration fees for veterinary surgeons.
“We haven't confirmed the amount yet because at the moment it's far too low for the Malaysian Veterinary Council (MVC) to sustain itself,” he said.
“Our highest cost at the MVC is gazetting the list of registered veterinary surgeons. That cost is very expensive. Every year it's more than RM200,000,” he added.
The fee for an Annual Practising Certificate (APC) application for practising veterinary surgeons is currently RM25.00.
The government is working to revise the 51-year-old fee structure and forms for veterinary services, according to an Agriculture and Food Security Ministry public consultation document seen by The Star. The Veterinary Surgeons (Forms and Fees) Regulations 1975 have not been reviewed since the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1974 took effect.
The document noted that current regulations fail to account for many Malaysian Veterinary Council (MVC) services and fall short of modern regulatory requirements. Additionally, Noor Hisham stated that the government is considering reviewing pet laboratory test fees.
