Rebuilding Malaysia's house of care by using AI in RMK13 — David Chang and Sean Thum
After decades of wear and tear, our health systems need structural repair. The 13th Malaysia Plan, or RMK13, unveiled by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, gives us the blueprint. It outlines a vision for a stronger, fairer, and more resilient Malaysia. Artificial intelligence is one of the tools that can help us get there.
RMK13 rests on three pillars. First, raising the floor, so no one is left behind. Second, raising the ceiling, to push Malaysia into high-growth and high-value industries. Third, strengthening the foundations that hold everything together, through better governance and more responsive institutions.
Nowhere is this transformation more urgent than in healthcare.
Our clinics are overcrowded. Healthcare workers are stretched. Rural communities still face gaps in access. At the same time, our healthcare workers are carrying enormous pressure, often without the tools or support they need. If healthcare is the room in which the rakyat most often encounters the state, then it must be livable, accessible, and built to last.
Raising the floor in health means improving services for the rakyat. Everyone, from elderly to children, from rural to urban, deserves reliable and timely care. It also means protecting the well-being of those who provide that care. AI can help achieve both.
Artificial intelligence is not a replacement for doctors or nurses, but it can help ease their load. For example, natural language tools can write patient notes or summarise medical histories. This gives health workers more time to focus on patients. AI can also help screen for diseases early. Malaysia's own Dr Mata system already uses AI to detect diabetic eye disease in thousands of patients.
These tools bring care closer to where people live. A nurse in a rural clinic, equipped with a simple tablet and an AI app, can perform eye scans, triage symptoms, or follow up with patients more effectively. This is what it means to use AI to raise the floor. We are not replacing human care, but extending its reach.
Raising the ceiling means taking bold steps toward a more innovative healthcare system. Across the world, hospitals are using AI to detect heart conditions, spot tumours in scans, and even advise on treatments for rare diseases. These tools are not perfect.
The author notes that Malaysia should become a place where medical innovation is both exported and accessible to our own people. . — AFP pic
A homegrown health AI sector could also create new jobs and raise our global profile.
Malaysia should become a place where medical innovation is both exported and accessible to our own people.
The third pillar of RMK13 is good governance. In health, this means making systems that are efficient, transparent, and trusted. Right now, too many processes in our hospitals are slow or repetitive. Doctors spend hours on forms and paperwork. Patients are referred between departments with missing or incomplete records.
AI can help streamline these tasks. It can automate basic documentation, manage patient flow, and support scheduling. These may seem like small improvements, but together they free up time, reduce mistakes, and make the system more responsive.
One of the clearest priorities under RMK13 is building a single lifelong health record for each citizen. One person, one record. This is essential if AI tools are to work well. But it also improves care in general. With complete and accurate records, doctors can make faster, safer decisions.
With better data, public health responses can be more targeted and effective.
For this to work, we need strong data governance and clear safeguards. Health information is sensitive. Malaysians must trust that their records are safe, and that AI will be used to help, not harm.
All of this depends on people. No technology can run itself. If we want AI to support healthcare, we must first support our healthcare workers. This includes fair pay, better career pathways, and continuous training. It also includes recognising and retaining the talent we already have.
The 'Made by Malaysia' slogan is not just about products. It is about people. We cannot lead in AI or health if we continue to lose our best minds to burnout or emigration. Talent is our foundation.
RMK13 gives us the chance to rebuild healthcare with purpose. Artificial intelligence is just one tool. But if we use it wisely, we can build a system that is more efficient, more humane, and more ready for the challenges ahead.
This is our shared house. Let us build it so that no one is left waiting at the door.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
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