Thought impact: Building consumer resilience together
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FOR decades, the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) has been at the forefront of advocating for fairer markets and stronger consumer protections, consistently raising concerns over issues ranging from unsafe products to rising living costs and household financial pressures.
And along that journey, it has worked closely with the countyโs media, including The Star.
Read more: Thought impact: Building consumer resilience together
Right to a refund after not-so-lucky draw
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PETALING JAYA: Consumers misled by โlucky drawsโ or โscratch and winโ promotions can file claims of up to RM50,000 at the Tribunal for Consumer Claims if pressured into purchasing overpriced products through deceptive offers or sales tactics, according to lawyer Ananthan Moorthi.
He said they may have legal grounds to demand refunds under the Consumer Protection Act.
Read more: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2026/05/09/right-to-a-refund-after-not-so-lucky-draw
Addressing Medical Inflation in Malaysia
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The reported 40% to 70% increase in medical insurance premiums has caused an uproar amongst Malaysian consumers. Many had taken private insurance to bypass the public healthcare system with its long waiting periods and frequently overburdened systems. They had expected that their insurance premiums would allow them fair access to the private healthcare system.
This sharp increase in insurance premiums has for many already struggling with stagnant incomes and higher living costs led to consumers giving up on their policies. It has been reported that between January 2024 and June 2025 more than 340,000 consumers had chosen to forgo their health insurance due to substantial premium increases by insurance companies.
Comments on Draft Guidelines On Implementation of Patent Linkage For Pharmaceutical Products in Malaysia
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1. Introduction
We urge the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) to withdraw the proposed Guidelines on Implementation of Patent Linkage for Pharmaceutical Products in Malaysia and to undertake meaningful consultations with civil society organizations and patient advocacy organisations on the best way to approach implementation of Article 18.53 of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The proposed Guidelines are CPTPP-plus going well beyond what is required under Article 18.53 of the CPTPP and will have serious adverse consequences for both the generic industry and access to affordable pharmaceutical products in Malaysia.
High medicine prices are a persistent challenge in Malaysia placing a significant burden on both patients and the public healthcare system. As a result, patients face high out-of-pocket costs, while the government must allocate substantial resources to procure medicines, constraining public health spending. Thus, it is absolutely critical that NPRA's implementation of Article 18.53 of the CPTPP does not erect barriers to the early entry of generic competition. Early generic competition is essential to reducing prices and improving access, and any regulatory approach that delays it will only exacerbate existing affordability challenges.
Looking at 10 years of wholesale and retail prices of medicines in Malaysia (2012-2022) the trend is incremental price increase (median increase: 40% and 33.6%), or stable increase (median increase: 15% and 16%), but none showed a decrease. In fact, the recent 5-year trend shows that 66% of wholesale and 68% of retail medicines have become more expensive. The increase for wholesale and retail prices is highly correlated.
The Ministry of Healthโs 2024 pooled procurement data shows that a switch from innovator (patented) to generic medicines produced significant savings for the Ministry: in all cases, the saving was averaged at RM6.8mil per medicine procurement. However, when the Ministry sticks to the same innovator medicine (and not a generic), there is a 1 in 4 chance that the Ministry must fork out more for the same procurement. In the other 75% of cases the savings the Ministry could gain per procurement of originator medicines is about 12% on average after price negotiations or bulk buying. This is small compared to the savings made by a switch to generics. Hence any delay in availability of a generic pharmaceutical product in the market has a huge cost to the government and the public. Timely registration of a generic product by NPRA is therefore crucial, together with a generic importer or local manufacturer that is ready to enter the market with the registration in hand.
CAP, FOMCA gesa KKM tarik balik garis panduan patent linkage
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GEORGE TOWN โ Cadangan pelaksanaan hubungan paten bagi produk farmaseutikal oleh Kementerian Kesihatan (KKM) dikhuatiri akan membawa kepada peningkatan harga ubat serta melambatkan akses pesakit kepada rawatan mampu milik.
Kebimbangan itu disuarakan gabungan lima pertubuhan iaitu Consumersโ Association of Penang (CAP), Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA), National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM), Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) dan Third World Network (TWN).Menurut mereka, cadangan itu hadir ketika negara berdepan tekanan kos kesihatan susulan pengurangan bajet sektor berkenaan sebanyak RM3.06 bilion.
Link:https://malaysiagazette.com/2026/05/02/cap-fomca-gesa-kkm-tarik-balik-garis-panduan-patent-linkage/#google_vignette
Read more: CAP, FOMCA gesa KKM tarik balik garis panduan patent linkage
NPRA patent guideline may hinder affordable generics, warn groups
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PETALING JAYA: Several groups have called for the withdrawal of a proposed guideline by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) on patents, saying it risks hampering the production and sale of affordable generic medicines to those who really need them.
The groups said international experience and studies show that such โpatent linkageโ mechanisms function as powerful tools to delay generic competition regardless of the merits of the underlying patent claim.
Read more : https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/05/02/npra-patent-guideline-may-hinder-affordable-generics-warn-groups
Read more: NPRA patent guideline may hinder affordable generics, warn groups
PRESS RELEASE: MOHโS PROPOSED PATENT LINKAGE GUIDELINE RISKS HIGHER MEDICINE PRICES AND DELAYED ACCESS
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Malaysia stands at a critical juncture in ensuring access to affordable medicines. The governmentโs decision to cut the health budget by RM3.06 billion, together with a proposed move by the Ministry of Health, risks worsening the situation.
In April, the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) opened a public consultation on its proposed โGuideline on Implementation of Patent Linkage for Pharmaceutical Products in Malaysiaโ, presented as fulfilling an obligation under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Although framed as procedural, the guidelineโs implications run far deeper and threatens timely generic entry, medicine affordability and public health.
PRESS RELEASE: ON THE PROPOSED GUIDELINES ON IMPLEMENTATION OF PATENT LINKAGE FOR PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS IN MALAYSIA
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Malaysia is facing a growing healthcare affordability crisis. Rising out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure, coupled with the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, is placing a significant financial strain on consumers. The proposed Patent Linkage Guidelines risk delaying access to affordable generic medicines, thereby worsening medicine affordability and consumer welfare.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO CONSUMERS
Medicine prices in Malaysia have consistently increased over time, with no clear evidence of price reductions. At the same time, capacity constraints in public healthcare are pushing more consumers toward higher-cost private care. As a result, many households especially those in the B40 and M40 groups are facing significant out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, the lack of timely availability of generic alternatives means that high prices persist longer, limiting access to necessary treatment. Higher prices lead to delayed or skipped treatment, as many consumers are unable to afford the medicines they need. This, in turn, contributes to financial hardship, especially for lower- and middle-income households. Ultimately, these challenges result in poorer health outcomes due to lack of timely and adequate care.
Beyond business, ESG must be a national commitment
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Rather than a trendy acronymn, ESG is a moral stress test of how a nation treats its people and its future, and right now, Malaysia is in danger of failing that test where it hurts most.
We expound the importance of the environment, social and governance (ESG) framework and draft strategic plans to impress investors.
But the proof of ESG is not on powerpoint slides. It is on our streets, at schools, in kampungs and low-cost flats, where people get left behind or are never counted.
In that context, applying ESG scrutiny to race relations, education, housing, and jobs is just our โESG agendaโ, not reform.
Read more: Beyond business, ESG must be a national commitment
Chief Statistician urges Malaysians to rebuild discipline, warning QR payments make saving harder than ever
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KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 โ From stamp books and post office savings to instant QR payments, Malaysiansโ relationship with money has shifted dramatically โ and not necessarily for the better.
That is the candid view of Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidin, who said the convenience of digital payments may be quietly eroding the discipline that once defined how Malaysians saved.
Speaking alongside the release of the National Transfer Accounts (NTA) 2022 by the Department of Statistics Malaysia, Uzir reflected on how earlier generations were conditioned to save from a young age โ often through simple but consistent habits.
โWhen we were in school, there was already a concept of saving. Teachers would bring stamp books, and if we didnโt spend our money, we would paste the stamps and save. At the time, there werenโt many banks around.
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