Price labelling rule stays: MoH prioritises education over penalties
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry respected the legal process but was committed to ensuring smooth implementation of the order through educational enforcement.
"We will continue with this approach to avoid enforcement gaps while the court process is ongoing," he told reporters after officiating the 2025 National Health Technology Assessment Conference and the 30th anniversary of the Malaysian Health Technology Assessment Section (MaHTAS) here today.
The regulation, which came into force on May 1, mandates all private clinics and community pharmacies to display medicine prices on shelves, in catalogues or on written price lists, under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Medicine Price Labelling) Order 2025.
Dzulkefly was responding to reports that the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and seven other organisations have applied for leave to initiate a judicial review of the order.
Among the applicants are the Sabah Private Practitioners Association (APPS), the Malaysian Association for the Advancement of Functional and Interdisciplinary Medicine (MAAFIM), the Malaysian Muslim Doctors Association (PERDIM), and the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners' Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM).
On May 4, Dzulkefly had clarified that no fines or compounds would be issued during the first three months of enforcement, as the ministry's priority was on stakeholder education.
As of now, neither MoH nor the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has announced an extension to the grace period, which ends tomorrow (July 31). – BERNAMA
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