Investment Potential In The Private Healthcare Sector

Minding The Gap: Why Health Insurance Has Become A Necessity

Demand for Medical Professionals In Malaysia

CEO Profile - Dato’ Amiruddin Abdul Satar - Dr Wesley Toh

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We are at the cusp of an incredibly exciting era for medicines along with developing technologies growing at an exponential rate. This has changed the study of medicine into an ongoing process, which hardly ends when one leaves medical school. Doctors nowadays are tasked with staying abreast of all the latest developments, laparoscopic surgery and intra-operative MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) technology.

This drive for innovation is most apparent in the private sector with extensive demand from patients for reduced risk and decreased recuperation times. Particularly in South East Asia, there is an extensive amount of new wealth to be found. This coupled with an ageing population; yet another indication that development has created extensive demand for cutting edge treatments such as robotic aided keyhole surgery. In order to have their demands met, many patients are prepared to travel abroad in search of treatment, with the spotlight falling now on Malaysia.

Moving swiftly into the 21st century it is safe to say that the face of everything is changing, with medicine no exception. With minimally invasive, Lasik and laparoscopic procedures becoming more commonplace and robotic surgery becoming more widespread, it appears that we are beginning to see a synergy between man and machine in treating our health ailments.

President's Message

Simon WhitelawPresident, MICCI

With neighbors such as Singapore unable to keep up with demand, the government has been proactive in encouraging this trend; waiving visa requirements for those from Commonwealth countries and encouraging package deals for healthcare tourists, particularly for medical screenings. Some initiatives include easy visa extensions and introduction of more competitive price regulation measures by the Malaysian Medical Association to encourage healthcare tourism.

Malaysia is fortunate as the majority of doctors have high degree of training and thus possess both the competence and technical prowess necessary to perform robotic surgeries and other complex procedures, leading to lower risks of complications and shorter recuperation time for patients. This wealth of expertise combined with relatively low prices appears to be an irresistible selling point. Comparative studies show that procedures in Malaysia cost anything between 25% to 90% less than like procedures conducted privately in Western nations.

A recent government census by the Malaysian Medical Association showed that Healthcare comprised over 5% of our Gross National Product. This figure is substantially higher than that of other countries in ASEAN. ‘The healthcare sector is targeted to generate RM 35.5 billion in Gross National Income and create 181,000 jobs by 2020.’(ETP annual report 2012:p244) Supporting industries have also displayed promising growth. For instance, the local Biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry is growing

at a steady 10 percent per annum, medical technology at a promising 12 percent annually and of course the star of the show; Health Tourism continues to grow at a staggering 21 percent per annum, reflecting double the global growth rate of the industry.

With Healthcare comprising about one twentieth of the entire Malaysian economy it is clear that this is an area that should continue to receive support and focus. Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Programme promises to implement numerous positive developments for healthcare in Malaysia with initiatives to further encourage healthcare tourism; and the launch of Clinical Research Malaysia, intended to support additional clinical research as well as initiatives to manufacture more pharmaceuticals generically and locally allowing needy patients to access life-saving drugs at lower costs.

This is very much the positive picture. On the downside, Malaysia as with other developing countries, faces a growing problem at grassroots level with the general health of the populace reflected in the alarming growth in levels of diabetes and obesity.

This will require an urgent and major programme of education with the message being very much “Prevention is better than Cure”.

Apart from the damage in human terms, the cost to the economy will be measured in MYR billions, if the current trends cannot be reversed.

As a whole, it is safe to say that the Healthcare industry in Malaysia is at an exciting but also challenging juncture with many extraordinary developments in the pipeline or already in place, and at stake the health and well being of the children of Malaysia as they grow to adulthood.

President's Message

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Contents

PRESIDENT'S Message 03 Simon Whitelaw

CHAMBER Chatter 05 Stewart J.Forbes

National Corporate Ethics 09 Award (NEAC)

COVER Story 07 Investment Potential In The Private Healthcare Sector

MICCI Features 11-30 Minding The Gap: Why Health Insurance Has Become A Necessity 11

In A Bid To Make Malaysia A World Class Player In Medical Industry 12

The Importance Of Health Volunteers In Malaysia’s Wellbeing 16

It's In Your DNA 19

The Practice & Prevalence Of Alternative & Complementary Medicine In Malaysia 22

Demand For Medical Professionals In Malaysia 23

How Will The Implementation Of GST Impact Public & Private Sector Healthcare Costs? 27

Public Healthcare In Malaysia 28

CEO Profile 32-34 In Conversation With The Managing Director Of KPJ Healthcare Berhad 32

MICCI News 35-45

Members News 45-52 MICCI Welcomes All New Members 45

Regional Focus 53-56 MICCI Chats With The CEO Of Adventist Hospital & Clinic Services 54

Penang’s Economy And Its Impact On Healthcare Tourism 56

Lifestyle 57-58 Al Amar Lebanese Cuisine 57

Let Me Show You The Ropes On A Sailboat! 58

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concludes that in 2010 Malaysia lost in excess of 4% of GDP to the impact of NCDs. And the figure is not going down. By 2030 this loss is expected to rise to more than 6% of GDP, a multi billion ringgit loss to the economy.

Some companies do recognise the importance to their businesses of employee health and wellness and invest in the form of free medical checkups, wellness and exercise programmes and even gym subscriptions funded by the organisation. But for smaller companies, the cost of providing wellness programmes for employees is seen as just another

cost of production and even if SMEs are conscious of the issue, finding the resources to invest in such programmes is extremely difficult.

These Non Communicable Diseases or NCDs are now recognised as serious social problems but there has been less discussion of the impact NCDs have on business and the economy as a whole. Yet it should not be a surprise to learn that NCDs while directly harmful to us and our employees also materially affect worker absenteeism, presenteeism and productivity.

And it goes further than just worker productivity. A recent APEC study on the impact of NCDs on a number of economies (including Malaysia)

There needs therefore to be concerted efforts by government, private sector and NGOs to find ways of providing the resources that business needs to invest much more heavily in employee wellness.

This is a genuine win-win situation, an improvement in worker health is a win for MoH and NGOs, it contributes to employee productivity and company competitiveness and ultimately it adds back to national GDP growth.

MICCI, as Malaysia’s longest established trade association is committed to national productivity and growth and is a willing partner in the war against the insidious effect of NCDs on employee wellness.

Does Our Lifestyle Hurt the Economy

Stewart J. ForbesExecutive DirectorMICCI

We are all conscious of the impact on us of our changing lifestyles. Ministry of Health and many NGOs spend a lot of time reminding us that overconsumption, a poor diet, lack of exercise and many other factors can lead to obesity, diabetes and many other lifestyle related conditions.

Chamber Chatter

Chamber Chatter

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National Corporate Ethics Award (NEAC)

Business Advocate

As a founder member of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Malaysia (NCCIM), MICCI has also signed the Malaysian Corporate Integrity Pledge and promotes its adoption among our approximately 1000 corporate members.

However, the Chamber has sought ways and means of moving from a passive supporter of anti-corruption towards a more proactive engagement in corporate ethics development and corporate compliance.

To this end, the MICCI inaugural National Corporate Ethics Award was launched on 28 January 2015 by the Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed. Deputy Commissioner (Prevention), Datuk Hj. Mustafar Bin Hj. Ali who represented the Chief Commissioner urged companies from all over Malaysia to show commitment and gain more credibility, recognition and business opportunities by participating in the award.

The NCEA 2015 is a private sector led initiative designed to identify companies who can serve as role models for others to follow, while stimulating a proactive anti-bribery role and ethics in the private sector. This is alongside demonstrating Malaysia's commitment as a leader in ethical business.

It is also the first time the award is being held and the inaugural winners will be announced in September 2015. With three awards in each category, NCEA will show the private sector’s commitment to the highest standards of ethical business in Malaysia.

About 60 companies are expected to participate in the first award cycle. Participation is divided into large enterprises and SME categories.

MICCI has long been a staunch supporter of ethical standards in business. As one the first corporate members of Transparency International Malaysia, MICCI developed and promoted a Code of Conduct (VIGOUR) for adoption by its Members who did not already have an established code.

Business Advocate

Award Organiser

Award Partner

Knowledge Partner

If we are to improve the overall ethical environment for business in Malaysia we need not only to catch the offenders but also demonstrate that ethical business can also be good business and highly successful companies can also, be highly ethical companies having nothing to do with corrupt practices. This will take awareness and education and MICCI is committed to its role in supporting such efforts.

— Simon Whitelaw, MICCI President

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Ethical business practices are the hallmark of a good company. By participating in the NCEA 2015 you demonstrate your commitment to the highest ethical standards.

— Bill Lisle, Chairman NCEA Steering Committee

I am very please to see MICCI’s initiative to assist the private sector in demonstrating their commitment to ethics and compliance and be recognised as an exemplary organisation committed to ethical business, corporate governance, and anti-corruption.

— Datuk Hj. Mustafar Bin Hj. Ali, Deputy Commissioner, MACC

MICCI ETHICS COMPACT

Pursuant to the MICCI's Business Principles which are aligned with the United Nation's Global Compact, the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry affirms its commitment to recognise and

hold in high esteem those business entities whose actions and policies

reflect the best ethical practices of the Business Community and

are worthy of emulation.

Award Sponsors

Large Enterprises

SMEs

More information on the Award can be accessed at www.ncea.micci.com

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Investment Potential In The Private Healthcare Sector

The private healthcare sector is largely driven by the three key sub-sectors, which include pharmaceuticals, health services and medical technology. Health services have also come to heavily depend on medical tourism, which has been a major contributor in increasing the revenue of the sector. The tourism industry has drawn a diverse number of visitors to the country for medical purposes, and the numbers are only set to keep growing with the tremendous pace at which private healthcare establishments are expanding.

Malaysia has a key revenue source in the aged community, who is fuelling the demand for healthcare services. Additionally, the hospital, pharmaceutical and medical devices will be targeted segments as they are expected to reach a compound annual growth rate of 17.3 percent, 11.4 percent and 14 percent respectively, between 2012 and 2018. With such demand in these areas, it is important for both private and public sectors to work towards their betterment and acknowledge their importance in the industry.

Given the tremendous opportunities in Malaysia, authorities have placed high importance in attracting more investments into the private healthcare sector. To encourage such activity and pave the way to attracting more foreign healthcare investors, the Malaysian Government launched the Entry Point Project (EPP) to expedite the approval process for foreign investment and reduce regulations. This would enhance the attractiveness of Malaysia as a healthcare market, atop the ever-present quality and affordability of the existing products and services.

The private hospitals are especially profitable as they draw big crowds from neighbouring countries due to vast medical offerings at more reasonable prices. Since key factors such as value and affordability drive people’s choices for healthcare, the private sector is looking to improve national health insurance and health system reforms, wider EPF withdrawal coverage for healthcare expenses, and increased competition among private healthcare providers.

Malaysia is earning a credible standing as a preferred healthcare destination, with both the public and private sectors quickly gaining ground over the past few years. The sector has seen enormous growth potential and a healthy increase in expenditure as it continually expands, with the support of both the government health ministries and the wide network of established private hospitals. The nation’s two-tier healthcare system operates on a collaborative level, so as to coexist and meet the expectations both tourists and residents in the medical field. The private and public sectors work towards a common goal to achieve economic targets with the incorporation of internationally viable medical benchmarks.

Business Advocate

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Cover Story

Furthermore, private hospitals are spending their resources to build more hospitals as a key move to tap into 2 million foreign health tourists a year that are expected to arrive by 2020. The financial resources have also gone towards building state of the art facilities, devices and services to enhance the inpatient as well as outpatient care in private hospitals. This would attract more foreign interest into Malaysia, and provide greater incentives for local healthcare providers to maintain the high, international standards that have come to be expected of them.

According to the statistics published by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), approved private investments in the healthcare sector from January to September 2014 was RM2,802.7 million in domestic investment, while there was none in foreign investments. Such investments alone have created approximately 2128 jobs, giving shape to

plans to improve the state of unemployment. This has brought forward the need to attract more investors from abroad, and promote the profitability of the sector in Malaysia so as to push employment intake even higher.

In light of this, the Malaysian Government has been hands-on about their efforts to attract more foreign investment into the country for the healthcare sector. Private hospitals, which are also overseen by the Ministry of Health, are equipped with the latest diagnostic and imaging facilities, which have attracted an increased number of foreigners to Malaysia in search of quality and affordable medical care. This, along with its reputation as a popular vacation destination only enhances the healthcare package that Malaysia has to offer.

Garnering interest in such private healthcare investments, benefits not only the healthcare sector alone, but enhances the progress

of other complementary sectors such as tourism, insurance, healthcare-related IT and even the public healthcare sector in the country. To further these sectors’ progress, the government will be intensifying public sector expenditure in the healthcare industry to develop the infrastructure, which will also enhance the collaboration between public and private healthcare providers.

By acknowledging the potential and role of the private healthcare sector in Malaysia’s healthcare infrastructure, it has opened the doors to give the sector more room to grow, and evidently highlights the investment opportunities that have yet to be fully realised. The next step would be to coax more multinational healthcare partnerships with local manufacturers. Such a move would combine the benefits of local healthcare resources and expertise, with the broader reach of their multinational counterparts.

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A report by The Economist stated that 79% of treatments received in hospitals and clinics in the private sector are paid out of the consumer’s pocket, with only 18% of private spending attributed to insurance coverage. This means that consumers are vulnerable to rising healthcare costs. The combination of declining health and rising costs has elevated Malaysians’ need for adequate medical coverage, to ensure that they will be able to afford access to the right health services that will enable them to detect diseases early as well as receive the best treatment that is available to them.

Tech: Friend and foe

Economists agree that the cost of healthcare will continue to rise globally, primarily due to advances in medical technologies. Take medical imaging technology, for example. Just a few years ago, an angiography -- an examination of the blood vessels -- could

MINDING THE GAP: Why Health Insurance Has Become A Necessity

only be done by inserting a catheter into an artery. Today, the newest CT scans allow a completely non-invasive way to get the same information. So as we keep breaking new ground in the field of medicine, and discovering cures for previously incurable diseases, an unfortunate downside is that the costs of healthcare will continue to rise.

In Malaysia, a number of factors, apart from advancements in medical treatments and technologies, have also contributed to the higher cost of treatment. For example, the increase in minimum wages has increased the cost of staffing for clinics and hospitals. In addition, the tabling of the Private Healthcare Act 1996 introduced many new (and much needed) regulations that required clinics and doctors to invest in new systems and processes to comply with the new standards set.

There has never been a more pressing need for access to hassle-free healthcare in Malaysia. Statistics published by the Ministry of Health show an increase in non-communicable diseases; hypertension is up 43%, diabetes up 88% and obesity cases have spiked by 250% in the 10 years since 2002. In addition, advancements in medical technology and research, while offering Malaysians a variety of options in terms of hi-tech screenings and procedures as well as drugs to treat conditions that could not have been diagnosed 20-30 years ago, have also contributed to medical inflation that is increasing at a rate of 12% annually.

So even though doctors’ professional fees are controlled by the Private Healthcare Act 1996, the cost of hospital care is not controlled, and the combination of various factors, including the ones listed above, have caused healthcare costs in Malaysia to rise steadily, much to the detriment of patients and consumers.

NCDs: Malaysia’s healthcare crisis

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are on the rise globally, and Malaysia is no exemption to this phenomenon. Demographic and lifestyle shifts have made Malaysians older and less healthy. The proportion of people under 15 years of age fell from 32% in 2002 to 26.7% in 2012, while the percentage of those aged over 60 climbed from 6.5% to more than 8% during the period.

Features

AIA Bhd., is a leading insurer in Malaysia, where we have been privileged to do business since 1948. We offer a suite of high quality products including Protection, Health, Personal Accident, General Insurance, Employee Benefits, Retirement and Family Takaful options to meet our customers’ protection and financial security needs at every life stage. Through our wide and diverse distribution footprint which comprises a tied agency force of close to 17,000-strong Life Planners, our exclusive bank partner’s branches nationwide as well as corporate sales teams and brokers, we give our customers the choice of deciding how, when and where they connect with us.

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Only one in four Malaysians admit to exercising regularly, while national eating habits tend to be heavily weighted towards foods that lead to high cholesterol levels. These trends are reflected in medical data: the Malaysian National Health and Morbidity Survey shows a three-fold rise in obesity among adults, from 4.4% in 1996 to 15.1% in 2011, making Malaysia the most overweight country in Southeast Asia. It is therefore no surprise that the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes has also increased from 11.6% in 2006 to 15.2% in 2011, which equates to approximately 2.6 million Malaysian adults. It does not stop there: 6.2 million Malaysian adults suffer from hypercholesterolemia, 5.8 million suffer from hypertension and one in four Malaysians will be diagnosed with cancer before they turn 75.

Finding the answer in ProtectionAgainst a backdrop of medical inflation and increasing lifestyle-related diseases, having adequate medical insurance coverage has never been more pressing. It is startling to know that only 54% of Malaysians have some form of insurance protection, well under the government’s target of 75% of the population by 2020,

which is just five years away. And while a little more than half of our population is insured, whether they have sufficient coverage to meet the rising costs of healthcare remain to be seen.Medical insurance must not be seen as a purchase to be made later in life. In fact, Malaysians should buy insurance while they are young and healthy, to enjoy more favourable premium payments. Today, insurers such as AIA have designed robust medical protection plans that take into account medical inflation and the prevalence of

In A Bid To Make Malaysia A World Class Player In Medical Industry— by Bryan Wong

Business Advocate

Medical industry statistics

2012 statistics from various reports show that the healthcare industry in the US is worth USD3 trillion. From this figure, the pharmaceutical field makes up nearly USD300 billion and constitutes more than a third of the global pharmaceutical market.

The medical device field in the US is worth around USD110 billion. According to reports, the medical device market value in the US represents 38% of the global medical device market in 2012. That calculates to the global pharmaceutical market of nearly USD1 trillion and global medical device market of USD289 billion.

According to Frost & Sullivan, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) healthcare market will have compound annual growth rate of more than 12% from 2012 to 2018, driven by China, Japan and India. This shows the vast opportunity in the medical industry to be capitalized by entrepreneurs and inventors in Malaysia.

Statistics published by the Ministry of Health show an increase in non-communicable diseases

43%

88%

250%

HYPERTENSION

DIABETES

OBESITY

non-communicable diseases. There are available plans that provide no lifetime limit on claims, as well as coverage for out-patient cancer and dialysis treatments.As life insurers, we have our work cut out for us. With a large, uninsured population in Malaysia, our role is to not only educate Malaysians on the importance of having adequate medical coverage, but also on the merits of making healthy lifestyle choices. The two must go hand-in-hand if we are to be a society blessed with good health and longevity.

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Features

Current players in the medical field

According to the Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry, the top medical device companies in terms of revenue are Johnson & Johnson and General Electric Co. from the US; Siemens AG from Germany; Koninklijke Philips NV from the Netherlands, Novartis AG from Switzerland, Essilor International SA from France; and others. The major players in Asia are Terumo Corp, Toshiba Corp, Olympus Corp and MIRACA Holdings Inc, all from Japan. Many big medical device companies are venturing into Asia by performing M&A with local Asian companies.

According to FastCompany, among the most innovative companies in healthcare include Sproxil (eliminating fake drugs), Safaricom (call-in service for developing countries), D-Rev (affordable medical products for third world countries), GE Healthcare (ultrasound for the whole body, for sports doctors) and others.

According to MATRADE, among the Malaysian-made medical products which are well

accepted by overseas market are medical disposables (catheters, tubes, infusion set), hospital beds and furniture, surgical and examination gloves, circumcision clamp and bowel aid. The one product which obtains the most attention and interest is medical disposables with growing interest in disease contamination control.

Among the major Malaysian players in the medical industry at this moment are Mecha-Medic Solution (bowel aid), A1 Glove (gloves), Ideal Healthcare (medical disposables) and OSA (orthopedic).

Higher learning institutions are also contributing vastly to the fundamental and applied innovation in the medical field. The main challenge for these institutions is the process of commercializing the inventions to the market, especially in the medical industry. This is why collaboration with the industry is a must for every project.

Patents in the medical field

The patent statistics will have a direct relevance to the growth in a certain industry’s activities in R&D and thus an indication to

the direction of most companies. According to the European Patent Office (EPO), the field of technology which most patents were filed in EPO in 2013 was Medical Technology while pharmaceutical patents had the highest contraction. This shows the importance of medical technology and should provide much push for local Malaysian companies.

According to the WIPO Patent Report 2008 edition, countries with high relative specialization index (RSI) provide indication of the R&D strength. Countries with high RSI in medical technology are Israel, Denmark, India and UK while countries with high RSI in pharmaceutical are India, Denmark, UK and the US. These statistics show that Malaysia is not within the major players in R&D in these industries.

Most patents filed in Malaysia classified under A61 (medical / veterinary science; hygiene) of the International Patent Classification (IPC) are filed under the category of A61K pharmaceutical field (11,093), followed by bandages / dressings / absorbent pads (1244) under the category of A61F

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13, then A61M application of medicine into body other than orally) and A61B diagnostics / surgery / identification (434).

It is also important to note that out of the list of patents being filed to MyIPO, only a small percentage is actually patents being filed by local Malaysians or Malaysian-based companies. In 2013, only 1269 patent filings out of a total of 7350 were filed by Malaysians or Malaysian-based companies. More overseas companies are filing patents in Malaysia (from 4503 in the year 2009 to 6081 in 2013) but our local applicants are stagnant at around 1200 patent filings every year since 2009. This is a very unhealthy sign considering that MyIPO has launched many programs to promote IP registration and more patent agents are being approved to provide advice to the inventors.

Factors that will make Malaysia a world class player

Below are among the challenges that most medical field companies face:

• Regulatory compliance.

• Funding/capital for small companies.

• Pricing pressure and regulatory changes for large companies.

• Medical device companies need to be leaner, more efficient and more innovative to compete.

• Consumers are getting more demanding and having ever changing needs.

• Talents in quality, regulatory and distribution. There are some constraints in the Asian companies that are slowing down expansions. For example, as quoted by Consure CEO Chasmawala

Business Advocate

“In Silicon Valley, I can find 300 patent lawyers with specialty in medical devices. In India, there are probably three or four”.

There are many concerns that a medical company needs to face such as stimulation of health innovation and easy access or distribution to the mass market. Medical technology development is a very risky and expensive business. It is much more challenging than other industries because there is an ethical aspect of product development, stringent regulatory, high cost of development, high failure rate and liability issues. In Malaysia, all medical devices that need to be sold need to go through approval from the Medical Device Authority of the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

In my opinion, in order for Malaysian companies to excel in the global medical field, they must first understand the needs of the market before embarking on developing a blockbuster solution to the needs of the market. Understanding the needs of the market can be done easily, but the main challenge is to develop the most cost-effective and easiest solution to that need.

With high cost of R&D especially in the medical field, intellectual

property registration (IPR) is the only way to protect the interest of inventors, investors and the ecosystem. Without IPR, inventors will not have motivation to research and incentive and collateral to safeguard their investments. There will also be many infringers in the market that will destroy the whole product development process.

It is also very common that researchers determine the direction of the research project based on journal analysis alone and only to find out after the completion of the research project that the invention has been patented by others. This will result of wastage of funding and time for the researcher and company/university.

The inventors need to embark in a process called “Technology Mining”, whereby after identifying the needs of the market, the inventors should analyze the patents being filed, which we name as “prior arts” in order to identify the virgin areas which have yet to be ventured by others. Through the process of technology mining and the report that comes out from the process, inventors are confident of the direction of the R&D that they are pursuing and investors will have confidence to the eventual expected results of the R&D.

A man with many hats – Bryan Wong is the Executive Director of Intellect Patent & Innovation Sdn Bhd (a member of Intellect Group of IP Companies) and he is also a registered Patent Agent, Industrial Design and Plant Variety Protection Agent.

Intellect Group provides intellectual property consulting in areas such as trademark, copyright, patent, industrial design, franchising and licensing.

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The Importance Of Health Volunteers In Malaysia’s Wellbeing— by Dr. Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh

The private healthcare charges are higher, intertwined with profit margins that are usually hidden in charges due to asymmetrical information and higher technological demand. Avoiding this inequality of health demand and provision, governance must ensure that healthcare is made affordable to the public at the lowest cost and using the most effective technology. One of the cheapest ways to do so is through community “Health Volunteers” (HV) that are an integral part of the healthcare system.

HVs are common civilians, among their own community, that are not paid through the formal emolument payment system. Their functions are of many. In Indonesia, these HVs are the main backbone of health care in rural and difficult to reach areas. Till about 5 years ago, in Thailand,

HVs were not paid any monetary compensation. In order to promote health volunteerisms and the spirit of community participations, the government of Thailand decided to compensate HVs participations in a small manner of about 500 Bhat per month.

The importance of HVs are largely subdued in Malaysia, as there is no formal compensation. Malaysia is plagued with chronic diseases such as obesity, cancer, hypertension, diabetes and heart diseases. These complications may lead to stroke

Health is a complete state of well being; physically, mentally and spiritually. Maintaining and promoting a healthy lifestyle among the community is easier said than done. The formal health system is easily understood and interpreted but the culturally influenced informal healthcare market are mostly paid out of pocket and are used judiciously by the community at large.

and survivors can potentially become moribund, especially in elderly communities. HVs can be trained and empowered by healthcare providers to assist in manual lifting and physical therapy.

The application of HV services are difficult to evaluate, and almost impossible to assess. It would be very cost effective if communities at large were able to support and maintain their own villages of HV.

During the country’s post-flood season, the devastation had ripped through the community leaving many systems such as education and transport, including the health care system, temporarily fragmented and broken. Disaster reduction strategy must include the reinforcement of volunteerisms in the social fabric of society.

The pursuance of volunteerism in the society however, should best adhere to certain guidelines of the state, country and national security. Without the support of employers and stakeholders, HVs will eventually be a dying trend.

Dr. Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh is a trained Medical Doctor from UKM. She obtained her Masters in Public Health (Hospital and Health Management) and PhD on Health Economics from the United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH).

Business Advocate

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What does DNA testing really involve & what can it tell you? How accurate is it?

Why do people do DNA tests?

IT’S IN YOUR

DNA!

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Genes, which are made of DNA are the blueprints of life. Genes control everything from hair color to blood type by telling cells which proteins to make, how much, when, and where. Humans share 99.9% of their DNA. The 0.1% of DNA that vary from person to person are what make us unique.

DNA testing is often used for identification, health and forensic purposes. Some of the common tests carried out nowadays are for confirmation of paternity, biological relationship between relatives, studying genes for health risks, forensic identification in criminal cases as well as understanding of ancestral origins. Ongoing studies are being carried out, amongst other things, looking at the genome of an individual to identify the genetic factors that influence their response to a drug and the influence of genetic variation on nutrition. Studies are also going towards answering questions whether musical and athletic ability are related to specific genes.

Samples used for DNA tests can be as simple as an oral/buccal swab. DNA can also be extracted from any form of body fluid or body tissue. Examples include blood, saliva, semen, hair, nails and so on. DNA samples can also be extracted from any articles that have DNA on them such as cigarette butts, chewing gum, sanitary towels, handkerchiefs, tissues and so on.

DNA tests offer results of up to 99.99% accuracy.

The field of genetics and DNA testing is expanding very rapidly. The advances in techniques of DNA analysis that produce fast and accurate results may well lead, in the near future, to every person having their DNA profile etched in their passports or identification documents!

By Datin Sharifah Khairiyah Syed MohamadDirector, easyDNA Malaysia

Requests for DNA tests can be for many different reasons including:

1. Paternity and relationship tests — for situations where the identity of the biological father is in question, concerns about baby mix-up in hospital, inheritance issues as well as citizenship, immigration or legal related matters.

2. Genetic screening may be requested by pregnant mothers for inherited and genetic disorders.

3. Those who are aware of the close correlation between health, quality of life may request the genetic predisposition test which screens for diseases with a known underlying genetic cause. However, it is important to remember that our health does not depend solely on our genes, but also on the environment and behavioural patterns.

4. Ancestry tests on the other hand are often requested for academic interest as it helps a person discover his geogenetic links with populations around the world.

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Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI)

Block C, C-8-8, Plaza Mont’ KiaraNo. 2, Jalan Kiara, Mont’ Kiara

50480 Kuala LumpurContact: Jude Liew

T 03-6201 7708 F 03-6201 7705

E jude@micci.com

Because it saves you time – with the Guide, there is no longer any need to give your visitors a full-blown country briefing – you use your valuable contact time to focus on your own agenda.

Because it assists you to fulfil your corporate responsibility to promote the country, its people and its economy.

How Should You Use The Guide?Take it with you when you are travelling overseas to meet business contacts and attend trade fairs, and pass it to foreign visitors you meet in Malaysia. You can also mail it to suitable contacts before you visit them overseas, or before they travel here to visit you.

If you are a small business with just a few potential contacts, write a nice personal message on the flysheet.

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The Practice & Prevalence Of Alternative & Complementary Medicine In Malaysia

Every culture has its own traditional system of healing based on its unique thought modality. This is especially significant in a country like Malaysia where innumerate cultures coexist. Therefore, it is only natural for Malaysia to nurture an incredibly diverse range of alternative healing practices, which has given shape to a long-existing area of healthcare known as Traditional and Complementary Medicine.

Traditional and Complementary Medicine (T&CM) is a form of health-related practice designed to prevent, treat, and/or manage illnesses and/or preserve the mental and physical well-being of individuals and includes practices such as traditional Malay medicine, Islamic medical practice, traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Indian medicine, homeopathy, and complementary therapies.

One particular trend simultaneously emerging amongst the different culturally-based traditional systems of healing and wellness, largely unique to Malaysia, is that the origins of a health system do not effect the race of its clientele. This extends to practitioners with members of divergent cultures and races practicing traditional medicine belonging to other cultures. This is widely contributed to by the increasing interest in recent years for traditional and other alternative medicines.

Malaysia is home to a number of culturally based medicinal systems, namely, Malay, Chinese and Indian traditional medicines, homeopathy and complementary medicine that is collectively called ‘Traditional and Complementary medicine’, as stated by the

Ministry of Health in Malaysia. These medicinal systems are deeply rooted within Malaysia’s diverse communities. This is especially evident from a number of reports and records that detail the various types of tropical plants in the country that contain over 1300 species possessing medicinal values.

Although supported by many practitioners and health seekers, many critics from around the world have critisised these practices as being based on poor scientific methodology and misleading

statements, while others have further stated that the promotion of such treatments is dangerous and unethical. There have been studies indicating the healing effects of such practices but results vary on every individual, that which speaks to a lack of consistency. The umbrella term provided to describe these practices is also being widely debated on because the health systems and practices to which it refers are diffused and its procedures and boundaries are poorly defined.

The Malaysian government is currently making adjustments to implement the use of T&CM within the national policy. This move is rather forward thinking as it allows bodies to regulate the registration and licensing of all T&CM. With this move being quite a substantial addendum to the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations Act of 1984, it has resulted in the Drug Control

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Authority registering approximately 12,000 traditional medicines, including 1200 herbal products.

The Ministry of Health is the lead organisation in setting guidelines and directions for research and development. The ministry is also making efforts in producing guidelines for research practices and procedures in order to improve the standards of evidence in this area of medicine. Malaysia has established an information hub on integrated medicine for the

world, with the help of the ministry and by utilising various strategic partnerships with other agencies.

In 2007, the Ministry of Health mandated that all T&CM practitioners were required to register their practice. This progressive stance allows practitioners to be held accountable for wrongful treatment or malpractice. Currently efforts are being made to produce a mandated price list for herbal and traditional medicinal products to prevent practitioners from

overcharging and exploiting patients. All registered products are compliant to Good Manufacturing Practices (GHP), Good Supply Practices (GSP) & Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards. These and many other arrangements are being proposed to ensure the safety of the public and address issues that have risen from lack of regulation.

Increasing in popularity, estimates show that 80% of citizens from low and middle income countries rely on T&CM while 65% of populations from high income countries have been reported to use this form of medicine at some point. It also plays a significant role in the control, prevention and health promotion of these traditional healing remedies. With such proven indications, Traditional and Complementary Medicine remains an important and crucial part of the healthcare system and the national system, in order to jointly improve health and the quality of life.

TRADITIONAL & COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE (T&CM) TRAINING CENTRES

Federation of Chinese & Acupuncturist Association of Malaysia

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Federation of Chinese Physicians & Medicine-Dealers Association of Malaysia

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Establishing a career in the medical field is by no means an easy task, and it takes a solid education and a considerable amount of time invested in gaining work experience, to achieve a good standing in the industry. Malaysia has readily recognised the importance of medicine and healthcare as a standalone sector in the economy, as well as the sector’s complementary relationship with booming economic sectors such as tourism. With such widespread applicability in the local economy, it is being given due importance as a national economic contributor.

Demand For Medical Professionals In Malaysia

Increasing medical breakthroughs, new technology, advancements in treatments and faster patient discharges have elevated the demand for acute healthcare services, which in turn have spiked the demand for healthcare professionals that are equipped to carry out these services.

The medical field is also expanding into and complementing other sectors, which gives limitless opportunities to aspiring doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other medical professions.

Demand for medical professionals have been on the rise for private

healthcare services, health tourism, new health facilities, specialisation and sub-specialisation services in new infectious diseases, lifestyle-associated diseases and chronic diseases. Owing to this demand for skilled, specialised professionals, the line of healthcare administration also demands skilled professionals.

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Administrative and operation professionals are the key members of any multidisciplinary healthcare team, which enhances the fluidity in the delivery of clinical services. These responsibilities include linking, coordinating and integrating different healthcare services, centered on patients’ needs. A number of gaps in supply in these healthcare sectors have boosted the demand for such skilled administrative professionals.

While there is still a continuous flow of medical graduates, the real issue remains to be that Malaysia is facing a shortage of highly trained, specialist doctors. The country only manages to train 500 to 600 doctors into specialised or sub-specialised experts every year. To gain relevant practical experience in the industry, graduates would need to shadow practicing doctors or even volunteer at medical establishments, as a way to gain first-hand experience.

The Malaysian Medical Association has accordingly voiced a concern that although a large number of medical graduates are churned out every year, there are not enough government hospitals to train these graduates, which ultimately means they are considered less qualified to fill in-demand positions that are better suited to established specialists. Therefore, more medical infrastructure is needed to accommodate the influx of medical graduates, and to ensure proper training to place them in secure jobs that would eventually benefit the medical field as a whole.

By assuring such training to graduates and even junior medical professionals, Continuing Professional Development

(CPD) can also be maximised, which broadens and improves the knowledge understanding and skills necessary for the execution of key professional duties. This is especially essential to fill gaps in demand within the public healthcare sector, due to existing highly skilled professionals leaving for better-paid private sector positions.

With no shortage of people willing to take up the medical profession in Malaysia, authorities must turn their attention in ensuring that this potential is fully utilised to fill the areas of specialisation in the medical industry. The Medical Act of 1971 itself states that this work experience through internship is a period of structured supervised practical training after graduation for medical graduates, which includes four month posting in surgery, orthopaedics, medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics, gynaecology and finally, accident and emergency. By carrying out this line of adequate training, the quota for professionals in both the private and public healthcare sector can be met and even exceeded.

The demand for medical professionals would only increase in the coming years, towards attaining the status of high-

income economy. By 2020, the population is expected to reach 34 million, which would require a total of 85,000 doctors to attain an appropriate ratio to provide necessary healthcare services. To assure that Malaysia has the needed resources to answer this demand in the coming years, the monitoring and regulatory medical authorities need to ensure that graduates get the necessary training and experience they require. In the industry and among medical professional themselves, there is a general consensus that Malaysian medical graduates are worthy and desirable employees, with good work ethics, the ability to speak English well, and the enthusiasm and willingness to learn. This foundation needs to be further enhanced by on site work experience and training, which is only propelled through collaborative efforts between the Malaysian regulatory authorities such as the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Malaysia Qualification Agency and the Malaysian Medical Council. Only by tackling medical education, can medical qualifications be achieved, which in turn would lead to building professional qualifications that would meet the necessary demands of the medical industry in Malaysia.

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How Will The Implementation Of GST Impact Public & Private Sector Healthcare Costs?

There is no denying that the upcoming implementation of the ‘Goods and Services Tax’ by the Malaysian government set for April this year has been a matter of extensive contention and debate, ever since it was announced three years ago. A particularly poignant area of debate is the impact that GST implementation would have on the price of healthcare in Malaysia, in both public and private sectors.

First off, the majority of government statements surrounding GST implementation can be said to be purely aimed towards placating and quelling the alarm sounded by the Malaysian population, as well as healthcare professionals and the hospitals concerned.

A particular matter of interest is the morass of contradictory statements that have been made in regards to ‘zero-rated’ goods and services. It was initially announced in 2012 by our government that the healthcare sector would be considered ‘zero-rated’. This would mean that this sector is entirely exempted from GST. As we navigate closer and closer towards the implementation date of GST, it has become apparent that this is hardly the case. The pre-eminent question on everyone’s mind is to what extent the GST will affect the price of healthcare.

In this case, the term Zero-Rated is ambiguous in its definition. It is meant to imply that the patients will not be affected by GST. The problem with this however

is that it is heavily reliant on the assumption that healthcare providers will collectively and magnanimously absorb the additional costs of GST without passing them on to the patients.

Furthermore, director-general of the Royal Malaysian Customs, Dato' Sri Khazali Ahmad has gone on to claim that the abolition of the existing taxation system in the healthcare sector which shall adjunct the implementation of GST will actually mean that money shall actually be saved and these savings will be subsequently passed to the patients. This combined with a purported 2,900 GST-exempt medicines, which is part of a new National Essential Drug List (NEDL), shall mean a

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healthcare system that is cheaper as a whole for patients in both public and private sectors.

Erstwhile; Datuk Jacob Thomas the president of the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia, better known by the abbreviation APHM warns that healthcare costs, shall inevitably rise across the board and that hospitals will inevitably pass the hikes in costs on to the consumer. He remains adamant that the implementation of GST will result in an unavoidable five percent rise in healthcare costs across the board primarily due to areas of hidden cost such as laundry, pathology lab work and catering.

The Federation of Private Medical Practioners’ Associations Malaysia

(FPMPAM) has also spoken out against yet another ruling pertaining to the GST, in which doctors under the employment of private hospitals would be exempt from GST. This would be largely ineffectual due to the government perception that most private hospitals do not directly employ their doctors. They are actually technically outsourced in the eyes of government accountants. This could be construed as a clever side-step based on a technicality much like the NEDL measure.

Furthermore, the multi-layered payment structure of private hospitals usually involve innumerate Managed Care Organisations and insurance agencies collating fees. These organisations, much like those doctors whom were

not considered to be directly employed by private hospitals as a matter of technicality would be bound to pass the additional operating costs incurred by the GST on to the patients.

In summation, the GST implementation planned for this April has become a looming specter of sorts, feared by many to affect the Malaysian healthcare system as it stands to do to the economy as well. It seems like the only way to circumvent this issue is to simply wait for the Goods and Services Tax to be implemented and to determine the actual cause and effect thereafter. It may very well have effects that barely register on one hand whereas on the other, it may adversely affect the costs of healthcare in the country.

These pertinent issues may be associated with a number of inequities in the Malaysian healthcare system. Extensive Government interference, selective subsidies and poor integration between primary care (clinics) and hospitals have resulted in the present public healthcare system not being entirely efficient and more costly to maintain.

These situations were expected to change substantially with the

current implementation of 1 CARE, which is a move intended to increase the accessibility of healthcare to the Malaysian public substantially, along with the increase in overall quality of primary care in Malaysia via the restructuring of the healthcare system. Whilst critics may continue to balk at the whole idea, stating that 1 KLINIKS are redundant and placed in urban areas where most occupants are economically capable of visiting

private practices, it is undeniable that 1 KLINIKS do provide treatment at irrefutably low costs.

Largely separate from the medical aspect of their implementation is the prevalent perception that 1 CARE is merely a diversion of sorts by the government. It is perceived as an unwillingness to address the greater issues pertaining to Malaysia’s social political makeup, which causes the real inequities in healthcare.

Problems that riddle Malaysia’s public primary healthcare services include a lack of sufficient training, poorly equipped dispensaries and the general lackluster morale of the medical assistants and medical officers employed to staff these establishments. We can however be thankful that secondary medical care institutions, namely government hospitals, are of a respectable standard, if not of internationally acclaimed standard.

Public Healthcare In Malaysia The term ‘public healthcare’ in Malaysia is one to be used with apprehension by some critics namely because the system is not entirely government subsidised. Though the government absorbs 55% of treatment and medication costs, patients are still expected to pay their way to a certain extent. This means that healthcare can still prove inaccessible to the extremely poor.

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Even with these plaguing issues, it has been determined in a recent survey by a US magazine that Malaysia’s healthcare system as a whole can be said to be the third best worldwide. This accreditation could be attributed to the fact that the majority of Malaysian doctors, regardless of placement in public or private sectors, are trained abroad in prestigious institutions across the British Isles, America and Australia.

Thanks in part to a Ministry of Health ruling, which ensures that all doctors who receive their medical degrees and qualifications abroad have to serve a compulsory three years within the government or public sector, our government hospitals have excellent registrars and Medical Officers providing world class standards of care.Furthermore, the Malaysian government has up to now, without fail dedicated a fixed five percent of its development budget to public healthcare

development. This contribution allows for continual improvements to infrastructure and staffing. Combined with contributions by citizens to Malaysia’s Public Healthcare Insurance Program under schemes such as SOCSO, the efforts have allowed government clinics and hospitals in Malaysia to maintain better than reasonable standards of care. This safety net has been touted to be very necessary by many commentators due to the fact that our population is ageing and we are starting to suffer from a myriad of ‘lifestyle’ related ailments such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

It is however unquestionable that there is still room for improvement. For instance it has been alleged that the ‘brain drain’ issue is really starting to have a marked effect on the public medical sector. Few, with the exception of the most civic-minded doctors, are prepared to

stay on in the public sector. Nearly all who migrate to the private sector or abroad cite poor pay and excessive workloads to be their primary motivation for the move. Those that tend to stay in the public sector have either managed to carve niches for themselves in the form of teaching positions or departmental heads or are quite content to settle for drastically lower pay in exchange for lax working hours.

Besides this, the life-saving and often costly medicines required for treatment of chronic illnesses such as cancer, hypertension and diabetes remain patented and have to be imported with recent reports stating that over 75% of pharmaceuticals used in Malaysia are imported. The cost of this to the patient as well as the taxpayer is cumulatively monumental.

Should the local pharmaceutical industry diversify into the production of prescription medications? With government

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The Malaysian healthcare system requires doctors to perform a compulsory three-year service with public hospitals to meet the demand of human resources in the sector.

Malaysia’s healthcare is lauded as the third best healthcare system in the world.

In 2011, the Government launched a program to renew prescriptions via mail, targeted specifically to patients with chronic diseases.

The life expectancy of people in Malaysia is settled at 74.75 years of age, as of the year 2014.

In 2011, the government introduced the Foreign Worker Hospitalisation and Surgical Insurance Scheme, making it compulsory for foreign workers to have medical insurance.

The Flying Doctor Service was introduced in 1973 to provide basic health services to people living in remote areas, with access to 3 helicopters based in Kuching, Sibu and Miri.

The number of healthcare travellers to Malaysia have increased by 15% from the year 2007 to 2013.

At present, there are 13 Malaysian hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), which is considered the gold standard in global health care.

Malaysia’s healthcare spending is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 11 per cent in the next 5 years with a healthcare expenditure expected to exceed $20 billion by the year 2025.

Forbes ranked Malaysia as the third best country to retire in, where the elderly care industry is expected to be worth 1.2 billion by the year 2020

hospitals accounting for a substantial 14% of the consumption of these vital pharmaceuticals, the cost of public healthcare could fall dramatically particularly for those to which it matters most; those with chronic illness such as cardiovascular patients, transplant patients, psychiatric patients and diabetics.

Yet another issue is that the majority of government hospitals are disproportionately understaffed; with government hospitals providing 75% of the hospital beds in the country whilst only being staffed by 40% of the nation’s doctors. The aforementioned disparity in patient distribution is predicted to worsen

with the introduction of the GST ‘Goods and Services Tax’ which critics and social commentators say could potentially increase the price of private healthcare by 5%, and in doing so forcing those who can barely afford private healthcare into lengthy queues for public hospital beds.

10 Facts To Know About The Healthcare Industry In Malaysia

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the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), introduced in 2011. KPJ — as a private provider is investing more than RM800million to generate a Gross National Income (GNI) of RM1.32 Billion by 2020 through the Group’s six (6) KPJ hospitals listed in the ETP.

• Malaysia’s burgeoning aging population is fuelling the demand for geriatric healthcare services.

• Malaysia also sees the rise of a promising Health Tourism sub-sector, handled primarily by the private providers. Malaysia has a higher-than-average availability of medical personnel and high quality facilities providing treatments across different ranges of the cost spectrum, making it an attractive destination for medical tourists.

2 With plans to expand the presence of KPJ Healthcare Bhd’s

services across ASEAN, what would be the next step in this expansion plan? Where do you hope the progress will be in a few years time?

KPJ’s main focus – in terms of expansion in ASEAN — can be comprised as such:

a. Grow Health Tourism: increase our efforts to reach out more to our neighbouring countries, through independent efforts as well as through government platforms. KPJ’s own Health

In Conversation With The Managing Director of KPJ Healthcare Berhad— Dato’ Amiruddin Abdul Satar

Business Advocate

Dato' Amiruddin Abdul Satar, aged 51, has helmed KPJ Healthcare Group as its President and Managing Director since 1 January 2013. Since joining KPJ in 1993, Dato' Amiruddin has been involved in the areas of hospital operations, finance and various senior management functions such as strategic planning and investment decisions.

1 Given your involvement in the private healthcare sector since 1993,

what are the most prominent changes that have altered the scope of the healthcare sector in Malaysia over the years?

KPJ has been involved in the private healthcare industry since 1981, and in fact our planning and paperwork started as early as 1974. During that time, the industry has evolved — in tandem with the socio-economic transformation of the country.

I would say that one of the largest changes are:

• Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act (PHFSA) 1998 and its Regulations 2006 — increased control, population increase — move towards private healthcare for faster and better quality service

• Goods & Services Tax (GST) Implementation in April 2015: despite healthcare services being exempted from the Tax, the APHM (Association of Private Hospital Malaysia) estimated that the private healthcare cost may increase by 5% after the implementation. The authorities, however, deemed doctors operating as ‘outsourced services’ that can be taxed leading to an increase in hospital operational cost. GST implementation would also affect other outsourced related services such as laundry and security services.

• Increasing payments via company and insurance schemes (70%) vis-à-vis out of pocket paid through Insurance and MCOs. This means that more Malaysians are able to receive private care which is very good news for KPJ as a private provider.

• Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in healthcare is the collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure patients continuously have access to comprehensive and affordable healthcare at all times. One of the major channels of PPP for private healthcare services providers is the Healthcare NKEA of

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3 What would you state to be the challenges/opportunities posed towards the Malaysian Private Healthcare industry currently?

CHALLENGES OPPORTUNITIES

Continuous demand for Healthcare Infrastructure

PPPs & individual efforts to develop infrastructure: Government and private sector both aggressively building more hospitals and training more professionals to cater to the growing need. For the private sector, KPJ and IHH (for example) are aggressively building new hospitals which offer world-class services to both local and international patients.

In turn, this has given rise to niche spin-off industries, e.g. health education, developers of state-of-the-art medical equipment, healthcare education & training and etc.

Increasing industry competition

Demographics: Global industry watchers are forecasting that healthcare demand is expected to grow resiliently this year supported by global population growth, ageing demographics and more affluent community. Malaysia’s own population grew to 28 million in 2010 and is expected to grow further to 42 million in 2050.

More older people — those in the 65 and above age group bracket

More geriatric care opportunities, due to higher occurrence of age-related diseases (such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and arthritis, among others), higher requirement for diagnosis and hospital-based inpatient and outpatient treatment, and longer duration of care during the recovery period.

Financial pressures: healthcare industry’s increasing costs

Socio-economics: increase in Malaysia’s wealth implies a trend towards the improvement of basic living standards, including better healthcare and nutrition.

There is also a trend of increasing payments via company (i.e. employee benefits) and insurance scheme (70 per cent) vis-à-vis out-of-pocket payment (OPP).

4 Being on the board of the Association of Private Hospitals of

Malaysia (APHM), how do you feel the association has helped to raise standards in medical care in Malaysia?

The APHM plays a key role in representing private hospitals and medical centers in Malaysia. APHM member hospitals are key partners with the public sector healthcare providers in bringing comprehensive medical care to all Malaysians through its member hospitals.

The APHM plays an important role in its objective of helping to raise standards of medical care within the country. Some of the activities geared towards this objective include:

• Ensuring patient safety and quality as a member of the National Patient Safety Council, the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health and the Malaysian Productivity Council.

• Working dialogues with public sector agencies such as the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the Customs Department.

• Participation in National working groups such as MPC, MITI and MATRADE.

• Training programmes for all Healthcare providers which include the yearly Conference and Exhibition and regular smaller group workshops on clinical and administrative / managerial topics.

• Promotion of Health Tourism Activities regionally and internationally with the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC).

Tourism revenue increased by 16.83% as at December 2014 from the previous year. Indonesia remains the top market for 2014.

b. To boost the services in our current hospitals: KPJ is already present in two ASEAN countries i.e. 2 in Jakarta and 1 in Bangkok.

c. KPJ for now will be focusing on consultancy services of private hospitals internationally. Our resources are limited currently with all the expansion and as such, we are very restricted in terms of international growth.

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5 What is the current state on the demand of medical healthcare

professionals in Malaysia? Do you feel this will change in the near future, and how will it affect the industry itself, as well as the economy?

The industry’s rapid growth has meant an ever increasing demand for healthcare and medical specialists and even sub-specialists in Malaysia – be it doctors or nurses, or even other healthcare professionals.

In line with this I anticipate we will have more Healthcare Education providers to grow, with KPJ University College leading the way. Malaysia will stand tall as a provider of high quality accredited healthcare education programmes for the nation and even serving the international market.

6 By targeting revenue growth this year in the private healthcare

sector, will this adversely impact hospitalisation costs especially when GST comes into force?

The Goods and Services Tax (“GST”) will be implemented with effect from 1 April 2015 to replace the current service tax and sales tax system.

Healthcare services are treated as exempt supplies under GST if they are supplied by a private healthcare facility registered or licensed premise under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (“Private Healthcare Facility”). Charges by medical specialists/consultants of a Private Healthcare Facility are however not listed as exempt supplies. So are some other goods and services supplied by a Private Healthcare Facility which are not treated as exempt supplies and would be subject to GST.

Therefore, hospitalisation cost will be affected due to the implementation of the GST. As mentioned earlier, APHM expects the private healthcare cost to increase by 5% after the implementation.

7 Malaysia has been named as one of the best places to retire in

the world. To complement this stance, what measures have been taken in the healthcare sector to assure that the needs of the ageing population are met?

According to National Statistics Department (NSD) – Malaysia’s population aged 65 & over is projected to increase more than three-fold of the 2010 population.

Driving factors include :• Declining fertility • Falling mortality rates• Improved health & nutrition• Longer life expectancy – males 73 & females 75 years

Based on the growing number of senior citizens in Malaysia, KPJ has made significant investments to provide services centred around the needs of the aged. Among the initiatives undertaken by KPJ include:

Aged care services for members of the public: KPJ acquired one aged care service center in Sibu, Sarawak,

and invested in an aged care and retirement home in Brisbane, Australia. KPJ also opened its own KPJ Senior Living Care (Nursing Home) located in the KPJ Tawakkal Health Centre, the group’s first ambulatory care centre. The centre provides quality care to all residents regardless of ethnicity, social status, religion, belief or political affiliation.

Supporting Services

Oral health also plays an important role in the health & wellbeing of old people. Therefore, KPJ KL Dental Centre supports the Aged Care Centre by providing comprehensive dental care which also assist senior citizens having dental problem such as tooth loss, gum disease, uneven jawbone and etc.

The most common long term illness affecting older people includes cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, musculoskeletal conditions such as arteritis and injury due to fall. Based on the increasing health conditions among senior citizen, KPJ KL Rehabilitation Centre was established to cater for the mentioned patient conditions. The Centre provides a multi-disciplinary approach to rehabilitation combining Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Language Therapy. All this is managed and coordinated by Rehabilitation Physician who oversees the treatment and medical care of patient.

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MICCI NEWS

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MICCI Engages CID Director, Bukit AmanMICCI's Joint Action Security Council (JASCO) led by its Chairman, Rajan Mittal recently met with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Director of Police, Bukit Aman, YDH Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh and his team. MICCI and the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) have enjoyed mutual cooperation over the last 15 years having accomplished many productive initiatives in relation to commercial crime.

The Council took the opportunity to raise a number of concerns that drew the following responses from the police:

Hot spots of lorry hijacks transporting palm oil

Patrolling hot spot areas were being practised however, due to the lack of manpower, the department is unable to increase the patrols. Robbery of cigarette vans involving employees of the distributors

When the distributor withdraws a report based on circumstances that the employee agrees to settle the loss, it does not discourage the perpetrator from repeating the offence. Nonetheless, the police

will submit a final report to the Attorney General for a final decision to charge the perpetrator or not.

Lengthy application process for Police Security Vetting

Presently, it takes a minimum of 3 months response time for security vetting. This is because, each application will need to pass several stages within the police department and then submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs before the final report can be released.

Lack of cooperation from lower ranked officers

The police have established the Department of Integrity and Standard Compliance to monitor the behaviour of police personnel and stern action will be taken towards irresponsible officers.

One-stop Call Centre Application

MyDistress application has been deactivated following the introduction of SaveMe999 which was recently launched.

Prevention of Crime Act (PoCA)

A number of arrest have been carried out under the PoCA and the police believe that the Act has been very effective in preventing serious crimes.

Datuk Seri Mohmad encouraged the industry to collaborate with the Police Crime Prevention Department in educating and advocating the importance of fighting crime. The meeting concluded with both parties agreeing to meet again in the second half of 2015.

Kuala Lumpur

GST Impact On HR PractitionersAs the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation date looms just around the corner, businesses should be well in their final phase of preparation as the country marks a new milestone in its tax system. With Employee Benefits falling under the scope of GST, it is crucial that businesses fully

understand its mechanism given that come 1st April 2015, it may change the way in which employees are rewarded.

Recognising this area of importance, MICCI organised a briefing on GST and its impact on HR practitioners in December 2014.

The talk was attended by 70 participants and featured two speakers; Rokiah Embong, Deputy Director of Customs and Excise, and Sabariah Mohd Yusof, Assistant Director, GST Division of the Royal Malaysian Customs. The speakers provided an overview on GST before specifically diving in

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Members News

CTOS Promises To Enhance Good Governance, Transparency & Accountability

MICCI participated in a dialogue with one of Malaysia’s leading credit reporting agency, Credit Tip-Off Service Sdn Bhd (CTOS) in March 2015. The dialogue was moderated by YB Datuk Ir Wee Ka Siong, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

A number of cases were cited by representatives of MICCI and the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) constituent chambers, concerning outdated information maintained by CTOS. A person may have owed the bank a few years back and if there was a legal action instituted against that person, the information was captured by CTOS. The fact that the person has subsequently

settled the debt is not accurately reflected in CTOS’s database causing deserving individuals and businesses to be unfairly deprived of credit.

CTOS dominates 70% of the market share where its main role is to collect and process information from public sources related to credit worthiness of individuals and businesses. Majority of its clients are banks and financial institutions, SMEs establishments, law firms, utility providers and telecommunication companies. According to CTOS, information is gathered from the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), Malaysian Department of Insolvency, Government Gazettes,

Newspaper reports (on legal suits, summonses, bankruptcy proceedings, winding up searches), National Registration Department and Electoral Roll.

With the fairly recent enforcement of the Credit Reporting Agencies Act 2010 in October 2014, Datuk Wee is hopeful that the Act would balance the right for both borrowers and lenders. The Act gives the power to the registrar of credit reporting agencies to monitor, control, supervise and regulate the private CRAs that are registered with the office. Businesses and individuals are also encouraged to conduct self-checks through various channels made available by CTOS.

Kuala Lumpur

on how the new tax system will affect employee benefits. This was made clearer with complementing case studies and examples for participants to better grasps the implications GST has on the overall human resource and payroll system.

The briefing was indeed a much needed occasion as it concluded with an active participation from attendees during the Q&A session.

Kuala Lumpur

Electricity Tariff: Educating The IndustryMICCI in collaboration with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) held a knowledge sharing session with regards to the fairly new electricity tariff that came into effect on 1 January 2014. Over 40 members attended the session organised in

conjunction with the Chamber's Natural Resources and Environment Council meeting. The TNB delegation was led by Ismail bin Hj Abd. Rahman, Senior General Manager, Regulatory Economics Department.

The tariff was put in place in line with the Government’s aspiration towards gradually phasing out energy subsidies through the Subsidy Rationalisation Programme. The new tariff's methodology is based on the economic regulatory framework called

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Promoting And Empowering Malaysian Entrepreneurs

MICCI participated in the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) roundtable session on “Promoting and Empowering Malaysian Entrepreneurs” in January 2015. The session was held at the Prince Hotel & Residence, Kuala Lumpur with YB Datuk Ir Dr Wee Ka Siong, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department as the guest of honour.

During the session, MICCI President, Simon Whitelaw expressed a number of concerns with regards to SMEs particularly citing on their capacity

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur

building, competency in the global and domestic market, ethical practices, and the rising cost of doing business. He added that MICCI is working very closely with SME Corp in introducing new training programmes in addition to the existing MICCI/SME Mentoring Programmes already in place. With the current economy looking sluggish, he urged SMEs to concentrate on quality export products to achieve better global recognition.

Furthermore, Whitelaw stressed on the importance on creating

awareness within the domestic and the international market on anti corruption and compliance practices before briefly announcing that MICCI was due to launch the National Corporate Ethics Award (NCEA) the following week.

Since then, the NCEA has been open for registration with the first stage of the award to commence in June 2015 and subsequently the winners will be announced in September 2015. More information on the NCEA can be accessed at www.ncea.micci.com.

the Incentive Based Regulation (IBR). In parallel with the implementation of IBR, the Government also introduced the Imbalance Cost Pass Through (ICPT) mechanism for the power sector. Under the ICPT, fuel cost will be reviewed every six (6) months and any changes (upward or downward) due to fluctuation in prices (namely gas, LNG, coal and alternative fuel) will be passed through in the end-user tariff.

The tariff structure aims to address greater transparency towards maintaining a reliable and sustainable electricity supply. TNB will continue to work hand-in-hand with MICCI in engaging with it's members for the betterment of the industry.

Tobacco Industry Gearing Up To Combat Theft

Each year, millions of ringgit worth of tobacco are lost in thefts and hijacks. With its portability, high prices, ready market and high re-sale value, cigarettes have been an ideal target for thefts. In a recent meeting between MICCI’s

Joint Action Security Council (JASCO), Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) and the Road Transport Department (JPJ), a number of crucial concerns and recommendations were raised, among them:-

• The need to allow the rear door windows for vans transporting tobacco to be tinted thus making it difficult for people to view its contents.

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• The tobacco industry is keen on collaborating with the police by providing its distribution routes.

• Organising police visits to key distributors to create awareness on crime prevention.

In response to the recommendations raised, JPJ stated that though the installation of tinted glass is specified under the 2000 amendment of the Motor Vehicle Rules, certain exceptions could be obtained for safety and medical reasons. All applications for exceptions will be reviewed by the Director-General of JPJ and valid for a duration of one (1) year.

The police on the other hand, welcomed the industry’s collaboration on sharing its

distribution routes, as it would assist them in identifying crime hot spots and increase their patrols in those areas. Moreover, RMP stated that the Department of Crime Prevention and Community Safety established in 2013 is responsible

MICCI Works Hand-In-Hand With MPC

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur

MICCI welcomed a delegation from the Malaysian Productivity Corporation (MPC) led by its Deputy Director General, Dato’ Abdul Latif Abu Seman in January 2015. The delegation was greeted by MICCI President, Simon Whitelaw and Chris Thiagarajah, Chairman of the Chamber’s Logistics and Infrastructure Council.

Referencing MICCI’s White Paper submission and contribution towards the preparation of the 11th

Malaysia Plan that was submitted to the government in June 2014, the Chamber recognises MPC as an important partner in addressing the various issues and recommended solutions that was proposed in the paper titled “Closing the Gap: Expectations and Reality in the Malaysian Business Community”.

Among the key issues highlighted in the paper were labour shortages concerning the shipping and ancillary industries; road infrastructures

leading to main gateways that are not of international standards; the need for dredging at Pulau Angsa to increase its depths for larger vessels to berth; to improve the present conditions of facilities supplying water to barges and ships; and for more transparency in awarding infrastructure tenders.

The meeting wrapped up with both parties agreeing to work closely in resolving the various concerns at hand.

for coordinating crime prevention and awareness initiatives hence any invitation from the industry for RMP to hold seminars or briefings at their premises would be favourably considered.

Members News

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Kuala Lumpur

Dialogue On Price Control & Anti-Profiteering Act 2011

More than 60 participants from various industries attended a half-day dialogue on Price Control & Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 that was organised by the Chamber in the final quarter of 2014.

The dialogue featured two speakers, GunaSeelan A.S. Marian and Low Swee Hon from the Enforcement Division, Ministry of Domestic Trade,

Co-operatives and Consumerism (MDTCC) who presented an overview on the Act and its impact on the impending GTS.

The dialogue discovered that there was still unsettledness within the business community with regards to complying with the Act given at the time, the guidelines on its compliance were not released.

MDTCC has since released the guidelines in January 2015, which among others, serves to determine when profits would be deemed unreasonable with due consideration on taxes, suppliers costs, and market demand and supply.

Worskhop On “Human Moment At Work”

MICCI Perak organised a one day workshop on "Human Moment At Work" in December 2014 that was attended by 25 participants from various industries.

The objective of the workshop was to explore the various aspects of Perception, Coaching, Personality and Conflict Resolution with the intention to develop and enhance leadership traits.

As one of the youngest coaches in Malaysia to be an Associate Certified Coach credentialed by the International Coach Federation (ICF), the trainer, Alfred Netto, incorporated the concepts of Neuro Linguistic Programming in everyday work related situations. Participants who were divided into groups and given various tasks to assess their respective abilities and competencies, were

also enlightened with insights on their personality types and thought to implement ideas of positive psychology at the workplace.

The workshop concluded with genuine feedback from all participants while some suggesting that the workshop should be extended to two days to fully realise the many advantages the course brings about.

Perak

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MICCI Out & About

Malacca— MICCI Malacca networking evening hosted by Hatten Hotel, Malacca at the Sky Lounge, Hatten Hotel in March 2015.

EastCoast— MICCI East Coast Wine & Dine evening hosted by Physical Accoustic Sdn Bhd and Ernst & Young, at the Hyatt Hotel, Kuantan, Pahang.

KualaLumpur— MICCI team building retreat at the Hatten Hotel, Malacca.

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KualaLumpur— MICCI Chinese New Year networking

evening in February 2015 at The Rabbit Hole hosted

by Connexion Group and Guinness Anchor Berhad.

Penang— MICCI Penang’s inaugural Annual General

Meeting and networking held at the Cornwallis Suite,

Eastern & Oriental Hotel.

MICCI News

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Penang— MICCI Penang’s New Year Networking

Evening hosted by Eastern & Oriental Hotel and held at

the Fullerton Suite, Victory Annexe in January 2015.

Penang—MICCI Penang’s Christmas get-together hosted by Shangri-la’s Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa at its newly refurbished Fun Interactive Play Lounge.

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Sabah—MICCI Sabah receiving the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies of Nepal, Deepak

Subedi and his 12 member delegation during his visit in February 2015. The delegation’s objective was to learn

more on export oriented governance and to explore greater bi-lateral trade between Nepal and Malaysia.

Sabah—MICCI Sabah welcomes its new branch committee following its 1st Annual General Meeting held in January 2015.

MICCI News

MICCCI extends it's sincere appreciation to all its sponsors and partners...

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MICCI Welcomes All New Members...

Company: ANDAMAN MEDICAL BRIDGE SDN BHDName: Mourad KholtiDesignation: DirectorAddress: Gurney Paragon Office Tower Level 16, Jalan Kelawai 10250 PenangTel/Fax: 04-222 8899 / 04-222 8801Business Sector: Pharmaceuticals/Medical

Company: BARAKAH SDN BHDName: Rais Ahmed Idris AhmedDesignation: Managing DirectorAddress: No. 25-1, Jalan Bidara 10 Saujana Utama, SelangorTel/Fax: 017-313 4288 Business Sector: Trading (Import/Export)

Company: BROMMA (MALAYSIA) SDN BHDName: Sven Daniel DahlqvistDesignation: Managing DirectorAddress: Lot 18, Jalan Kelebang 1/6 Zon Perindustrian Bebas Kinta 31200 Chemor, Perak Tel/Fax: 05-293 8890 / 05-291 4096Business Sector: Machinery/Equipment

Company: BTI CONSULTANTS SDN BHD Name: Anthony Raja DevadossDesignation: Managing Director — Asia PacificAddress: Level 32.1, Menara Standard Chartered 30 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur Tel/Fax: 03-2119 6888 / 03-2141 0639Business Sector: Consultancy/Business Services

Company: C. MELCHERS GMBH & COName: Henning Felix NiesmannDesignation: Managing DirectorAddress: Infinite Centre, 2nd Floor, Jalan 13/6 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.Tel/Fax: 03-7955 5566 / 03-7957 0658Business Sector: Machinery/Equipments

Company: COUNTRY HEIGHTS EDUCATION SDN BHDName: Angie Ng Yin MingDesignation: General ManagerAddress: F01-F05, 1st Floor, Office Tower, The Heritage Jalan SB Dagang 43300 Seri Kembangan, SelangorTel/Fax: 03-8941 1322 / 03-8941 8622Business Sector: Eduction/Training

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Members News

NOT AVAILABLE

Company: CY GROUP SDN BHDName: Kym YongDesignation: Managing DirecterAddress: E-13-01, Level 13, Block E Plaza Mont' Kiara, 2 Jalan Kiara 50480 Kuala LumpurTel/Fax: 03-6203 3522 / 03-6203 1315Business Sector: Property/Real Estate

Company: DR. OETKER NONA MALAYSIA SDN BHDName: Bent HansenDesignation: Managing DirectorAddress: Plot 105, MK11 Lorong Perusahaan Utama 1 Kawasan Perindustrian Bukit Tengah 14000 Bukit MertajamTel/Fax: 04-501 7504 / -Business Sector: Food/Beverages

Company: eONENET.COM SDN BHDName: Fione TanDesignation: Chief Executive OfficerAddress: A36-11, Level 36 Menara UOA Bangsar 5 Jalan Bangsar Utama 1 59000 Kuala LumpurTel/Fax: 03-2284 6418 / 03-2284 5148Business Sector: Media/Advertising

NOT AVAILABLE

Company: EXCELLICO DEVELOPMENT SDN BHDName: Datuk Wong Kie YikDesignation: Managing DirectorAddress: Bangunan Hung Ann No. 1 Jalan Bujang Suntong 96000 Sibu, Sarawak Tel/Fax: 084-326 155 / 084-325 233Business Sector: Consultancy/Business Serviccs

Company: CUMMINS SCOTT & ENGLISH MALAYSIA SDN BHDName: Alex Tan Yoke SanDesignation: General ManagerAddress: No. 12 Jalan Pemaju U1/15 Seksyen U1, Hicom Glenmaie Industrial Park 40150 Shah Alam, SelangorTel/Fax: 03-5022 8888 / 03-5022 8822Business Sector: Trading (Import/Export)

Company: FIRST MARINE SERVICES (M) SDN BHDName: Engku Muhammed Bakleysyah Bin MokhsinDesignation: CEO - FMS GroupAddress: Lot 35 Sektor 1, Jalan lM3/6 Bandar Indera Mahkota 25200 Kuantan, PahangTel/Fax: 09-573 6333 / 09-573 7333Business Sector: Oil/Gas/Petrochemicals

Company: INTELLIGENT HOME SYSTEMS (MY) SDN BHDName: Germain ThomasDesignation: Regional Managing DirectorAddress: S-14-8, First Subang Mall Jalan SS 15/4G, SS15 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor Tel/Fax: 03-5612 3005 / 03-5612 3003Business Sector: Construction/Engineering

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Company: KINABALU NATURE RESORTS SDN BHD Name: Ravindran KathiraveluDesignation: General ManagerAddress: Block B, Lot 9, Ground Floor, Signature Office KK Times Square, Off Coastal Highway 88100 Kota Kinabalu, SabahTel/Fax: 088-487 466 / 088-487 566Business Sector: Hotels/Tourism

Company: LAFAZ BERSATU SDN BHDName: Dato' Ng Koong SinnDesignation: Managing DirectorAddress: B626, 2nd Floor Jalan Air Putih 25300 Kuantan, PahangTel/Fax: 09-568 8037 / 09-568 8124Business Sector: Oil/Gas/Petrochemicals

Company: LEGION SERVICES SDN BHDName: Rajalingam Rur SingamDesignation: Chief Executive OfficerAddress: Level 13, Wisma Tun Sambanthan Jalan Sultan Sulaiman 50000 Kuala Lumpur Tel/Fax: 03-2274 5254 / 03-2273 3205Business Sector: Consultancy/Business Services

Company: MARKSCHEFFEL TRAINING SDN BHDName: Michael MarkscheffelDesignation: DirectorAddress: B-16-05, One Damansara Condominium Jalan PJU 10/3C Damansara Damai 47830 Petaling Jaya Tel/Fax: 017-221 2839Business Sector: Education/Training

Company: KERJAYA SUKSES SDN BHDName: Sharifah Shereena Bt. Syed Sheh Designation: Managing DirectorAddress: Level 32.1, Menara Standard Chartered No. 30 Jalan Sultan Ismail 10250 Kuala LumpurTel/Fax: 03-2119 6917 / -Business Sector: Consultancy/Business Services

Company: MOJIKO AUTO PARTS SDN BHDName: Toh Kok EnDesignation: Managing DirectorAddress: GM 8972, Lot 987 Mukim Kuala Kuantan 25150 Kuantan, PahangTel/Fax: 09-566 3040 / 09-536 4133 Business Sector: Automative

Company: NAMHWA PAPER INDUSTRIES (K) SDN BHDName: Tan Soo WahDesignation: Managing DirectorAddress: No.16 Jalan Jaya Gading 2 Kawasan MIEL Jaya Gading 26070 Kuantan, PahangTel/Fax: 09-538 5528 / 09-538 1399Business Sector: Non-Metallic Manufacturers

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Members News

Company: ONE WORLD HOTEL SDN BHDName: Tan Sri Dato' (IR) Teo Chiang HongDesignation: DirectorAddress: First Avenue, Bandar Utama City Centre 47800 Petaling Jaya, SelangorTel/Fax: 03-7681 1111 / 03-7681 1188 Business Sector: Hotels/Tourism

Company: PBA HOLDINGS BHDName: Ir. Jaseni MaidinsaDesignation: Chief Executive OfficerAddress: Level 32, KOMTAR 10000 Penang Tel/Fax: 04-263 4200Business Sector: Consultancy/Business Services

Company: ROBIN CAPITAL SDN BHDName: Ariivazhagan Supramaniam Designation: Chief Executive OfficerAddress: Suite 33-01, 33rd Floor Menara Keck Seng 203 Jalan Bukit Bintang 55100 Kuala LumpurTel/Fax: 016-664 7314 / 03-2116 5999Business Sector: Education/Training

Company: ONE63 IDEAS SDN BHDName: Kelvin Lee Tiong KeatDesignation: Chief Executive OfficerAddress: Suite 303, 3rd Floor Johor Tower, 15 Gereja 80100 Johor Bahru, Johor Tel/Fax: 07-226 6799 / 07-227 6799Business Sector: Food/Beverages

Company: RUTHERFORD GLOBAL POWER PRODUCTION SDN BHDName: Tan Keong KeongDesignation: Operations ManagerAddress: Lot 12 Jalan SILC 1/4, Kawasan Perindustrian SILC 79200 Nusajaya, Johor Tel/Fax: 07-509 0668 / 07-509 0665Business Sector: Electrical/Electronics

Company: SCHENKER LOGISTICS (MALAYSIA) SDN BHD — MELAKAName: Wolfgang LaabsDesignation: Managing DirectorAddress: SP 1653-A, Jalan Perindustrian Rembia 2 Melaka World Solar Valley 78000 Alor Gajah, Melaka Tel/Fax: 06-316 3658 / 06-316 3480Business Sector: Port/Logistics

Company: TOTAL IFM SDN BHDName: Yuthaya Surian MuthuDesignation: DirectorAddress: No. 64 & 64A, Susuran Anjung Tawas Off Jalan Kuala Kangsar 30010 Ipoh, Perak Tel/Fax: 05-292 1308 / 05-292 1318Business Sector: Consultancy/Business Services

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NOT AVAILABLE

Company: VESCO-MTO (M) SDN BHD Name: Mohanaroo Apalanaidu Designation: Executive DirectorAddress: No. 2, 1st & 2nd Floor, Jalan PP2/1 Taman Putra Prima 47100 Puchong, SelangorTel/Fax: 03-8051 5174 / 03-8051 6354Business Sector: Port/Logistics

Company: WEI DAT WIREMESH NETTING SDN BHDName: Kwan Boon DatDesignation: Executive DirectorAddress: 1 Persiaran Perusahaan Kledang Utara 1/5 Kawasan Perindustrian Chandan Raya 31450 Menglembu, Perak.Tel/Fax: 05-282 9220 / 05-282 1220Business Sector: Metal Manufacture

NOT AVAILABLE

Company: ZAID IBRAHIM & CO - PENANGName: Ang Siak KengDesignation: PartnerAddress: 51-22-B&C, Menara BHL Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah 10050 Penang. Tel/Fax: 04-227 0888 / 04-228 6755Business Sector: Oil/Gas/Petrochemicals

Company: ZERIN PROPERTIESName: Previndran SathugasingheDesignation: Chief Executive OfficerAddress: Level 1, Blk B, Damansara Office Complex Jalan Dungun, Damansara Heights 50490 Kuala Lumpur Tel/Fax: 03-2092 2008 / 03-2094 4007Business Sector: Property/Real Estate

Company: TROWERS & HAMLINS INTERNATIONAL LIMITEDName: Nick White Designation: Regional ManagerAddress: Suites 15 & 16, CEO Suite Menara Maxis, 36th Floor Kuala Lumpur City Centre 50088 Kuala LumpurTel/Fax: 03-2615 0185 / 03-2615 0187Business Sector: Legal

Company: TROPICAL SPICE GARDEN SDN BHDName: Rebecca Dorothy Duckett Designation: DirectorAddress: 147 Lorong Kelawai 10250 Penang Tel/Fax: 04-881 1797 / 04-881 3794Business Sector: Others(Unspecified)

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Members News

One World Hotel caps a golden year by winning two prestigious awards at both World Luxury Hotel Awards 2014 and World Travel Awards 2014.

The establishment has earned the ‘Luxury Hotel and Conference Centre for the Continent: Asia’ accolade at the recent World Luxury Hotel Awards 2014 held in Cape Town, South Africa on 6th December 2014, marking an unprecedented second time in the last 3 years that One World has received this accolade.

The World Luxury Hotel Awards was established in 2006 and recognised as the world’s most prestigious awards exclusive to the

luxury hotel industry. Over 1000 luxurious hotels, lodges, resorts & private islands from 145 countries were nominated to participate in over 50 different categories this year. The World Luxury Hotel Awards aim to encourage and enhanced service standards within the luxury hotel industry. On 7th December 2014, One World Hotel made Malaysia proud by making history in the renowned global award, scooping the world title, ‘World’s Leading Meeting & Conference Hotel’ award at the recent 21st World Travel Awards Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2014 held in Anguilla, in the northern Caribbean, beating out 20 other world-class hotels and resorts.

OneWorldEndsThe Year With A Bang

HotelWinsTwoCovetedtitlesatWorldLuxuryHotelAwards2014&WorldTravelAwards2014

One World Hotel was represented by its Director of Sales, Tengku Badariah who received the esteemed award in an intimate chic award ceremony hosted by CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa and witnessed by 300 international hospitality industry leaders. Known as ‘The Oscar’ of the travel industry, this award is widely regarded as one of the premier accolades in the travel and tourism industry, to celebrate excellence across all sectors and to honour world’s leading travel and tourism brands.

The winners for both awards are selected based upon votes received from travel and tourism industry professionals and consumers.

Visit http://www.luxuryhotelawards.com/winners & http://www.worldtravelawards.com/winners2014-1 for full winners’ list and further information.

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An Amazing International Day at The International School @ ParkCity (ISP)

The International Day @ ISP started with students from 55 nations, resplendent in their national dress or colours, showing off their sartorial elegance at the “Parade of Nations”. Country stalls set-up by parents were incredibly popular and it wasn’t all about food, as cultural sights, sounds and experiences abounded. There was a palpable buzz all through the day as

dance and musical performances entertained the ISP community.

To round-up the day, Britpop started off the assembly as the ISP community was taken on a journey to the four corners of the globe culminating with the Korean drummers beating away in perfect unison. It is no exaggeration to say that this was a truly sensational International Day @ ISP!

Business Advocate

REGIONAL FOCUS PENANG

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Business Advocate

MICCI Chats with the CEO of Adventist Hospital & Clinic Services — Dr. Wesley Toh See Wei

1 The Penang Adventist Hospital is part of the international Adventist

network of over 600 not-for-profit hospitals, clinics and dispensaries worldwide. What kind of a role does it play in the healthcare system in Malaysia, and more specifically in Penang?

Healthcare provided locally in a well connected global village can benefit from clinical best practices and technology available anywhere in the world. This advantage is what Penang Adventist Hospital (PAH) has, being a part of the international Adventist Health Network. We benefit from best practices in management and technology transfer from our sisters institutions. For example, we were able to build up our heart program with assistance from Loma Linda University Health and we have a customer service program called SHARE which was transferred from the Florida Hospital. The role of PAH in the

healthcare system in Malaysia and specifically in Penang is to be the provider and an advocate for wholistic healthcare. This means that we emphasize healthy living, disease prevention, early detection of diseases through community health education and our wellness screening services. We provide spiritual, social and mental care in addition to treating a patient with medication and medical procedures. We also provide support via support groups for patients suffering from lifestyle diseases like heart problem and diabetes.

2 What inspired you to pursue a Doctorate in Public Health and

a Master in Healthcare Administration among other similar accolades, after having accredited with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering? Why the inclination towards healthcare?

I started my career in the electronic industry and enjoyed it. However, when I joined the Adventist Group, I was introduced to the healthcare industry. I became interested in the administration aspect of healthcare because it is challenging, complex and satisfying. I seized the opportunity

when my supervisor offered me a role in Adventist Health System. To better equip myself I completed a Master in Healthcare Administration and a Doctorate in Public Health.

3 As part of the Adventist health network, what

are the key areas of medical care that your hospitals are offering?

To say the least:

Cardiology, interventional cardiology, paediatric cardiology and cardiac thoracic surgery.

Clinical and medical oncology with diagnostics, cancer surgery, radiation and chemotherapy in collaboration with NCCS (Singapore) using a multi-disciplinary team where one patient having opinions and treatment by a number of related specialists.

Orthopaedics — spine and joints specialists (working with US orthopaedic surgeons).

Dr Wesley Toh was the COO of PAH before he became the CEO in 2012. His previous assignments in the Adventist Group included head of the Singapore Mission, principal of San Yu High School and Adventist School, school chaplain, church and district pastor. He is married with one daughter.

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Women and Child Health — gynaecology, breast specialists and paediatricians.

As for Adventist Medical Centre (formerly Tanjung Medical Centre), it will focus on ambulatory, geriatrics, minor surgical and treatment procedures, wellness and short-stay medical services e.g. plastic surgery, ophthalmology, dermatology, ENT and etc.

4 Penang accounts for 50% of medical tourists. How do

you play a role in medical tourism,and how do you feel this has impacted the operations of the hospital?

We are one of the biggest contributors for medical tourism in Penang and Malaysia. Due to Penang’s geographic location and the Hospital’s history within Malaysia, we will continue to attract medical travel patients and tourists. The presence of international medical tourists means we need to train our employees in crosscultural sensitivities, hiring employees proficient in various foreign languages. The increase in patient number also means a longer waiting time to receive care for both the medical tourists as well as local patients. We are expanding our facilities and services to cope with the increase need.

5 Penang Adventist Hospital is the very first hospital

in Malaysia that has become part of the Health Promoting Hospital Network (HPH). How has this impacted the operation of the hospital, if at all?

Health Promoting Hospital (HPH) is a WHO initiative and is aligned with our Adventist Healthcare Philosophy of wholistic care. We use the HPH framework and strategies in promoting good health practices among PAH staff so that they can be examples to the community, on how good health can positively impact one’s quality of life and also prevention of lifestyle related medical issues. This is done while we also provide similar health promoting programs to the community and corporate clients. Being a member of the HPH network also provides us with good brand reputation.

6 How is the job market in terms of the demand of healthcare

professionals in Penang? Is the supply of these professional meeting the demand in the region?

Finding sufficient number of specialists in neurology, oncology, nephrology and cardiology continue to be challenging in Malaysia. Additionally, qualified

and experienced nurses are limited as many experienced nurses are going overseas for employment due to better salaries.

Malaysia produces sufficient number of other allied health professionals like pharmacists, physiotherapists and radiographers.

7 As one of the pioneering healthcare providers in the state,

how has Penang Adventist Hospital contributed to the state of healthcare in the economy?

We strive to contribute to the economy through:

• Preventive community and public health services thus increasing the quality of life of the residents.

• Attracting out-of-state patients and also foreigners through medical tourism will increase the total revenue of the Hospital and healthcare industry in Penang.

• Supporting corporate companies with affordable healthcare creating an environment that attracts foreign investments into Penang.

• Expansion of our services will generate investments into the overall facilities and services.

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Business Advocate

The state offers unlimited, in-demand, state of the art choices in contemporary medicine, as well as traditional therapies and wellness treatments to enhance overall wellbeing. This preferred destination for many tourists provides a stimulating break for health-seeking visitors to enrich their senses, not only through medical recourse, but also through relaxation, recuperation and recovery.

Widely known for its quintessential charm and engaging tourist attractions, Penang has established itself as a preferred health and welfare destination for many. Drawing in a record number of tourists per year, medical tourists come from far and wide to experience the tropical atmosphere that offers the perfect blend of affordable state-of-the-art healthcare services and a blissful environment that encourages a quick and relaxing recovery period, post medical treatment.

Owing to its popularity as a medical tourism hub, Penang is continuously updating, upgrading and expanding its medical expertise and services so as to cater to an even wider audience, both locally and abroad. With these noted developments, Malaysia’s healthcare market as a whole has nearly doubled since 2010, reaching 770,000 patients and approximately 697 million Ringgit in revenue last year. Penang has contributed a great deal to these figures, and continues to be one of the preferred choices within Malaysia, let alone South East Asia.

To put the state’s healthcare contribution in perspective, Penang received more than 300,000 medical tourists in 2011, and accounted

for 60 percent of the total medical tourists to Malaysia in the same year. The numbers have since grown by 15% within the past two years. The incoming tourists consist mainly of visitors from Indonesia, Southern Thailand and Australia, with other key accounted tourists hailing from India, Japan and China.

Key requested surgeries in Penang include heart and eye operations, as well as cosmetic and reconstructive surgeries. Most hospitals in Penang are fully equipped to deal with the full range of medical conditions ranging from life-threatening illnesses and injuries, to chronic medical disorders. More so, when compared to countries like USA, Thailand and Singapore, Malaysia has considerably lower costs for highly requested medical surgeries such as heart bypass, hip and knee replacement and other reconstructive surgeries.

For those seeking medical attention in Penang, doctor-patient relationships have been strengthened and made more convenient through medical organisations that connect overseas clients with local doctors and surgeons in Penang. This has been an especially popular mode of long-distance communication for cosmetic and reconstruction surgeries in the region. This would mean that the relationships are formed prior to the tourists’ arrival in Penang, which eases the willingness of tourists to travel hundreds of miles for their treatment.

With such advancements in medical offerings, Penang’s medical tourism sector will continue to benefit from the rising middle-income class in Asia, as well as the ageing population who seek the rejuvenating qualities

and unlimited attractions in Penang. In fact, Malaysia has been named one of the best places to retire, and Penang is a perfect testament to the lifestyle and healthcare for which Malaysia is known internationally.

The state has become such a popular choice among many, that in 2013 alone, healthcare travellers rose to 351,673 from 297,850 in 2012, generating a total revenue of RM265 million and RM295 million respectively.

With this increasingly positive outlook for the healthcare sector, tourists continue to pour in from across the globe to engage in various healthcare services. The government and private healthcare establishments are constantly pushing the boundaries to offer the best, which has resulted in the formation of the ‘Penang Hospitals Alliance’ that seeks to strike a positive balance between public and private healthcare sectors.

To further complement the medical industry’s full-fledged cooperation with local tourism, a one-stop centre for health tourism is also available at the Penang International Airport (PIA). The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council Concierge and Lounge at PIA will provide necessary information, including information pertaining to transportation, accommodation, travel and health care services. It gives a seamless healthcare experience in Penang, and further ties together the sheer role that tourism plays in the healthcare sector.

Providing such a major pull for the Malaysian economy, the healthcare sector’s robust growth in Penang has provided considerable benefits for both the public and private sectors. Such economic strides will contribute tremendously to the state’s economic transformation objectives, by creating an estimated 26,966 jobs, and generating an income of RM6.59 billion by the year 2020.

Penang’s Impact on Healthcare Tourism Malaysia is a prominent regional medical tourism hub in South East Asia, with the state of Penang alone accounting for more than 50% of medical tourists in the country, which is set to further increase by 8% this year.

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Al Amar Lebanese Cuisine opened its flagship dining restaurant in the iconic shopping mall, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur in 2008. Offering authentic Lebanese cuisine, one can dine and feast on a myriad of dishes: cold and hot mezze, traditional Lebanese salads, soups, and various types of rice, shawarma platters, shawarma sandwiches, grilled meats and seafood and a delightful array of desserts. For a dose of exciting, healthy flavours, the Sunday Buffet is a must-try. At the helm of this elegant, children-friendly outlet is the highly able and very experienced Executive Chef, Pierre Chahda. Having worked in several prestigious restaurants and hotels across the Middle East, Pierre Chahda has accumulated years of experience in the preparation of authentic Lebanese dishes.

Cooking from the heart, his fiery passion and panache helps him delightfully combine taste and aesthetics seamlessly.Under the supervision of this exuberant chef, Al Amar Lebanese Cuisine has won many accolades such as the Best Middle Eastern Restaurant Award at Time Out KL’s Food Awards: three times in a row in 2010, 2011 and 2012; Malaysia Tatler’s Best

Restaurant (Guides): four times in a row in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012; and received several awards at the Malaysia International Gourmet Festival – notably in 2012 where the restaurant won the Awards of Excellence for the Most Outstanding Cuisine category, Most Creative Food Presentation and Most Outstanding Overall Dining Experience amongst others.

AlAmar LebaneseCuisine— by Nikki Huet (nikki.huet@gmail.com)

Lifestyle

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It's thought that the phrase “show you the ropes” or “know the ropes” originated with sailors because of just how important ropes are when navigating wind-powered ships. Ropes or lines are a common material to find onboard sailing ships, but in yachting vernacular, there are no ropes as such on a yacht. They all have special names so that when it gets interesting on board, for instance in heavy weather, everyone knows exactly

David Bradley and his wife Gudrun now reside in Langkawi under the

MM2H program. They own a Lagoon 500 catamaran called

“Edu-Cat” and are kept busy running Sunset Valley, a boutique resort

with six authentic Malay houses. David is passionate about preventing

environmental degradation, particularly of our oceans and waterways.

which “rope” requires attention. Many of these lines are attached to the sails of the ship and are used to manipulate the shape of the sail, which in turn, impacts how the ship moves around the water. Mainsails and headsails are controlled by sheets whilst halyards, topping-lifts, a kicker or vang and reefing pennants all have their role in maintaining control. The dinghy is tethered by a painter and the yacht is berthed

Let MeShowYoutheRopes

On A Sailboat!

using bow and stern lines, together with bow and stern springs.On top of that, if a sailor is going to be around “ropes”, he would likely benefit from knowing how to tie various knots, a skill that would most certainly come in handy onboard a ship. Hence, between the whole navigation thing and knot tying and being at the helm on a yacht, you can probably see why it is necessary for a sailor to 'know the ropes.'

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