
Health Minister says Hospital Visitors' Board appointments under review after Rembau screening error sparks public concern
He said that the process will also be streamlined in terms of eligibility criteria and contributions to society, in line with the national public health policy.
'I, along with the MOH, remain committed to continuously strengthening the integrity and credibility of the national health system, including through the appointment of appropriate, credible, and principled community representatives,' he said in a statement yesterday.
He was commenting on the recent viral appointment of an individual as an ALPH Rembau, which was said to have elements of conflict of interest with current health policies advocated by the MOH.
Dr Dzulkefly confirmed that the individual was no longer serving as an ALPH Rembau and admitted that there was an error in the screening process related to the career background of the appointed candidate.
'I admit that this weakness has had a significant impact on public perception of the MOH,' he said, adding that the MOH received 2,860 nominations from various parties, including hospitals, state health exco members, and community leaders for 143 hospitals nationwide.
He clarified that every nomination submitted to him went through a screening process that considered evaluations and recommendations from their respective state representatives. — Bernama
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Express
3 hours ago
- Daily Express
Over 10,500 women in Malaysia tested HPV-positive
Published on: Saturday, July 05, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 05, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: For illustrative purposes only. KUALA LUMPUR: More than 10,500 women in Malaysia have tested positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) through cervical cancer screening efforts by the Health Ministry over the past five years. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the cases were identified under the Action Plan Towards the Elimination of Cervical Cancer 2021–2030, which has screened over 160,000 women nationwide. Advertisement He also highlighted that 65 per cent of women in the country have not undergone cervical cancer screening in the past three years, a figure he described as alarming, given that cervical cancer is among the most preventable forms of the disease. 'A virus causes it and we can detect it early. It is treatable when caught in time and it is entirely eliminable, if we act decisively. Too many women are unaware, hesitant or left behind, often due to fear, stigma or lack of access,' he said during the launch of Etiqa's Free Cervical Screening Programme Phase Five, held in collaboration with the Rose Foundation here today. Dzulkefly noted that scientific advancements such as HPV DNA self-sampling have made screening safer, more private and painless, with about 90 per cent accuracy, requiring screening only once every five to 10 years. On the screening programme, he said the ministry fully supports community-based efforts, such as Program ROSE (Removing Obstacles to Cervical Screening), which leverages corporate partnerships to create sustainable, patient-centred cancer care models. 'Currently, 44 government hospitals are working with Rose to close critical gaps in access to care,' he added. Dzulkefly also commended Etiqa's continued partnership with the Rose Foundation, with the fifth phase of the initiative expected to benefit 4,000 women, especially in underserved communities. 'This initiative not only expands access, but also supports MOH's aspiration to eliminate cervical cancer in Malaysia,' he said. However, Dzulkefly emphasised that eliminating cervical cancer requires more than clinical efforts as it also demands cultural change and shared responsibility. 'Our fight is not just clinical, it is also cultural and social. We must normalise conversations about cervical cancer, challenge the shame surrounding HPV and reaffirm that there is no shame in prevention, only strength,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia


The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Over 10,500 Malaysian women test HPV-positive in cancer screening
KUALA LUMPUR: More than 10,500 women in Malaysia have tested positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) through cervical cancer screening efforts by the Health Ministry over the past five years. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the cases were identified under the Action Plan Towards the Elimination of Cervical Cancer 2021–2030, which has screened over 160,000 women nationwide. He also highlighted that 65 per cent of women in the country have not undergone cervical cancer screening in the past three years, a figure he described as alarming, given that cervical cancer is among the most preventable forms of the disease. 'A virus causes it and we can detect it early. It is treatable when caught in time and it is entirely eliminable, if we act decisively. Too many women are unaware, hesitant or left behind, often due to fear, stigma or lack of access,' he said during the launch of Etiqa's Free Cervical Screening Programme Phase Five, held in collaboration with the ROSE Foundation here today. Dzulkefly noted that scientific advancements such as HPV DNA self-sampling have made screening safer, more private and painless, with about 90 per cent accuracy, requiring screening only once every five to 10 years. On the screening programme, he said the ministry fully supports community-based efforts, such as Program ROSE (Removing Obstacles to Cervical Screening), which leverages corporate partnerships to create sustainable, patient-centred cancer care models. 'Currently, 44 government hospitals are working with ROSE to close critical gaps in access to care,' he added. Dzulkefly also commended Etiqa's continued partnership with the ROSE Foundation, with the fifth phase of the initiative expected to benefit 4,000 women, especially in underserved communities. 'This initiative not only expands access, but also supports MOH's aspiration to eliminate cervical cancer in Malaysia,' he said. However, Dzulkefly emphasised that eliminating cervical cancer requires more than clinical efforts as it also demands cultural change and shared responsibility. 'Our fight is not just clinical, it is also cultural and social. We must normalise conversations about cervical cancer, challenge the shame surrounding HPV and reaffirm that there is no shame in prevention, only strength,' he said. - Bernama


The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Over 10,500 women tested positive for HPV in past five years, says Health Ministry
KUALA LUMPUR: More than 10,500 women in Malaysia have tested positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) through cervical cancer screening efforts by the Health Ministry in the past five years, says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. The Health Minister said the cases were identified under the Action Plan Towards the Elimination of Cervical Cancer 2021-2030, which has screened over 160,000 women nationwide. He also highlighted that 65% of women in the country have not undergone cervical cancer screening in the past three years, a figure he described as alarming given that cervical cancer is among the most preventable forms of the disease. "A virus causes it and we can detect it early. It is treatable when caught in time and it is entirely eliminable if we act decisively. "Too many women are unaware, hesitant or left behind, often due to fear, stigma or lack of access," he said during the launch of Etiqa's Free Cervical Screening Programme Phase Five, held in collaboration with the ROSE Foundation here on Saturday (July 5). Dzulkefly noted that scientific advancements such as HPV DNA self-sampling have made screening safer, more private and painless, with about 90% accuracy, requiring screening only once every five to 10 years. On the screening programme, he said the ministry fully supports community-based efforts, such as Program ROSE (Removing Obstacles to Cervical Screening), which leverages corporate partnerships to create sustainable, patient-centred cancer care models. "Currently, 44 government hospitals are working with ROSE to close critical gaps in access to care," he added. Dzulkefly also commended Etiqa's continued partnership with the ROSE Foundation, with the fifth phase of the initiative expected to benefit 4,000 women, especially in underserved communities. "This initiative not only expands access, but also supports the ministry's aspiration to eliminate cervical cancer in Malaysia," he said. However, Dzulkefly emphasised that eliminating cervical cancer requires more than clinical efforts as it also demands cultural change and shared responsibility. "Our fight is not just clinical, it is also cultural and social. We must normalise conversations about cervical cancer, challenge the shame surrounding HPV and reaffirm that there is no shame in prevention, only strength," he said. – Bernama