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Malay Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Minister clarifies halal status of Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz caterer amid audit report concerns
KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir today clarified that the delay in halal certification for the food service provider awarded the patient meal contract at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) was due to technical issues in the application process, not non-compliance with halal standards. He said the matter should not alarm the public, as it does not suggest the company involved is operating outside halal requirements. 'The issue is not that the company doesn't practise halal procedures, but rather a technical delay in obtaining the certificate. 'The halal certification process in Malaysia applies not to the company as a whole, but to the specific premises,' he said during the debate on the Auditor-General's Report in Parliament today. Zambry explained that once a company is awarded a tender, it is typically given six months to apply for halal certification. However, in this case, the process took more than a year due to administrative setbacks, including delays in appointing a Person in Charge (PIC), which is required for the certification process. 'The company was awarded the tender in 2024, but the PIC was only appointed on April 14, 2025. Without the PIC, the company could not even begin the application process. 'Only after the PIC is in place can the company begin uploading details into the halal system, undergo audits, and proceed with inspections,' he said. This lengthy, sequential process, Zambry said, led to delays that exceeded the stipulated six-month period. He also noted that while the specific premises used for HCTM had yet to be certified, other premises under the same company already held valid halal certification. He added that all food suppliers working with the company were halal-certified. 'This shows that the company does observe halal standards. The issue lies with procedural inefficiencies that we need to correct moving forward,' he said. On Monday, the Auditor-General's Report (LKAN) 2/2025 revealed that HCTM had awarded a three-year catering contract worth RM25.64 million to a company that did not yet possess halal certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim). According to the report, the company was granted the tender to supply patient meals at HCTM from February 2024 to February 2027. The report also noted that the objective of the tender was to provide halal meals to patients, in line with the hospital's Main Kitchen, which is certified halal by Jakim.
New Straits Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Hospital awards RM25.6mil catering contract to non-halal certified firm
KUALA LUMPUR: Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) in Cheras awarded a three-year catering contract worth RM25.64 million to a company that did not possess halal certification from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim). However, the Auditor General's Report 2/2025 said the company, identified as 0267299-T, won a tender to "provide halal food to HCTM patients" from February 2024 to February 2027. The report noted that the company aimed to streamline the status of its main kitchen, which had received halal certification from Jakim. The report said that the technical evaluation committee did not recommend 0267299-T, citing the company's failure at the technical evaluation stage as it lacked both halal and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) certifications. The committee said the company failed the technical evaluation due to lack of experience and not having enough food servers and trolleys for the hospital. Nonetheless, the company was selected because it met the financial evaluation committee's criteria, the audit said. Only two out of 12 bidders passed the technical assessment stage, and 0267299-T was among the 10 companies that failed after scoring 53 per cent. The technical committee recommended company 0797329-A as it scored highest, at 87 per cent. "The audit review found that the company that was offered the contract, namely 0267299-T, failed the technical assessment but was still brought to the Financial Assessment Committee," it said. The company was ranked fourth in having a cheaper price. Although it passed the financial committee stage, it was not recommended. "The pre-tender committee was unable to make a recommendation that could be most profitable, reasonable and provide the best value-for-money to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. "This is because no tenderer passed and was recommended by both the technical and financial evaluation committees. "Therefore, the pre-tender committee recommended company 0912013-P with the justification of the lowest price offer and meeting the minimum specification score," it said. In response to the audit, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), which oversees HCTM, said the previous patient food supply contract was nearing its end, and the tender committee had to proceed with the new tender to avoid service disruption. UKM also said that 0267299-T had applied for HACCP certification on Sept 24 last year, but the audit process could only be carried out after renovation works at HCTM were completed. The report did not include UKM's response to 0267299-T's lack of halal certification. The company was not recommended by the technical evaluation committee after its linear accelerator (Linac) machines failed to meet integration requirements with HCTM's existing systems. As a result, key medical equipment, including the Linac machines, CT simulators and contrast injectors, faced delays. Although scheduled for delivery by Sept 18 last year, the Linac machines had yet to arrive at the time of the audit, marking a 122-day delay. "The delay in the supply of (this equipment) within the stipulated timeframe has affected services at HCTM. "The delay in starting treatment has had an impact on patient survival, with 20 patients experiencing waiting periods ranging from one to eight weeks," the audit said. In the report tabled in parliament this morning, the auditor-general found "serious irregularities" in UKM's procurement process, involving three tenders worth RM58.45 million. The irregularities occurred when the tender procurement committee selected companies that were not recommended by the technical evaluation committee, financial evaluation committee, or pre-tender committee.
Malay Mail
21-07-2025
- Health
- Malay Mail
Hospital gave tender to company that failed to deliver cancer treatment machines on time, delaying patients' treatments by months
KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — A delay in the delivery of critical cancer treatment equipment by a firm has affected patient health care at the Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), revealed the Auditor-General's Report. In an audit report released today, the National Audit Department found that the firm, identified as 0074062-D, failed to provide a linear accelerator (Linac) radiotherapy system as well as a CT-Simulator and Contrast Injector to HCTM on time. The Linac and other supporting equipment were initially scheduled for delivery on September 18, 2024. However, by the time the audit report was concluded on January 17 this year, the Linac machine was yet to be delivered to the said hospital. The report stated that the delay has jeopardised health treatment for at least 20 patients, which was reportedly postponed for up to eight weeks. According to the audit report, the firm failed to supply the equipment on time because the new Linac unit did not meet the technical integration requirements with HCTM's existing system, known as ARIA. 'This technical incompatibility meant that no testing and commissioning work could proceed, further stalling installation and operation,' the report stated. The company then in June last year, asked to postpone the completion of its tender to Feb 12, 2025 due the technical incompatibility, which was approved by HCTM. However, the firm asked for another deferment in December to an unspecified date, which HCTM rejected. Despite the issue, 0074062-D was awarded the contract by the hospital's tender procurement committee. During the tender process, although company 0074062-D met the technical and financial evaluation thresholds, it was not recommended for appointment by the pre-tender committee, technical assessment committee and financial assessment committee. The report stated that the technical assessment committee specifically highlighted that the equipment proposed by the company did not comply with integration requirements for the hospital's existing ARIA system. Despite these concerns, the tender procurement committee proceeded to award the contract to company 0074062-D, overriding the collective recommendations of the evaluation committees. HCTM stated that the tender procurement committee selected company 0074062-D because it fulfilled 90.36 per cent of the technical assessment criteria, submitted the second-lowest bid at RM22 million, and offered the lowest maintenance cost at RM960,000 per year. This was compared to RM1.09 million per year quoted by the lowest bidder in the tender process. However, the National Audit Department found that the explanation unsatisfactory as the report showed the cost saving decision was made despite one company - 0050470-K - submitting a bid for just RM370,000 more than the winning bid, but with the highest score in the technical assessment at 98.05 percent. Apart from the cancer treatment equipment procurement, the Audit Department also raised concerns over two other tenders approved by HCTM — one for catering services and another for lift upgrades. In the catering tender, a RM25.6 million contract was awarded to a company that lacked experience and failed to meet key technical requirements, including having halal certification. Despite not being recommended by the financial assessment committee, the company was chosen due to having sufficient capital. Notably, none of the bidders fully met both technical and financial criteria. Meanwhile, a RM10.8 million contract for lift upgrades was given to company 0726241-U, which had a 'sick project' record — a clear breach of tendering guidelines for major works. Although the hospital claimed that further reviews showed some of the firm's questionable projects were completed on time, the Audit Department maintained that the company should have been disqualified from the start.
Free Malaysia Today
21-07-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Hospital gave RM25.6mil catering contract to company without halal cert
The 2025 Auditor-General's Report Series 2 found a company without halal certification won a tender to provide meals to patients at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz from February 2024 to February 2027. (Website pic) PETALING JAYA : A government audit has found that Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) awarded a three-year RM25.64 million catering contract to a company that did not possess halal certification from the Islamic development department. The 2025 Auditor-General's Report Series 2 found the company, which was identified as 0267299-T in the audit report, won a tender to provide meals to patients at HCTM from February 2024 to February 2027. The report said the tender was aimed at 'providing halal food to HCTM patients' in accordance with the status of its main kitchen, which had received halal certification from Jakim. The report, which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today, found HCTM's technical evaluation committee did not recommend 0267299-T as it had failed the technical evaluation as it lacked both halal and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) certifications. The committee said the company also failed the technical evaluation as it was inexperienced and did not have enough food servers and trolleys for patients' food. The audit found the technical evaluation committee had evaluated 12 bidders, with the passing mark set at 85% and above. Only two bidders passed the technical assessment, with 0267299-T among the 10 companies that failed after scoring 53%. Despite this, the company was ultimately selected based on meeting the financial evaluation committee's criteria, the audit reported. In response to the audit, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, which oversees HCTM, said the previous company's contract to supply food to patients was about to end and the tender procurement committee agreed to proceed with the tender as the services could not be interrupted. UKM also said that 0267299-T had applied for HACCP certification on Sept 24, 2024, but the audit process could only be carried out after renovation works at HCTM were completed. However, the report did not include UKM's response to 0267299-T's lack of halal certification. Delay in supplying medical equipment HCTM also awarded a separate contract for the provision of medical equipment to a company not recommended by the technical evaluation committee, as its linear accelerator (Linac) machines – used for cancer treatment – failed to meet integration requirements with HCTM's existing systems. As a result, several critical pieces of medical equipment, including the Linac machines, CT simulators (used in radiation therapy) and contrast injectors (used for enhanced imaging), were delayed. These items were scheduled for delivery by Sept 18 last year. At the time of the audit, the Linac machines had still not been delivered, marking a delay of 122 days. 'The delay in the supply of (this equipment) within the stipulated timeframe has affected services at HCTM,' said the audit. 'The delay in starting treatment has had an impact on patient survival, with 20 patients experiencing waiting periods ranging from one to eight weeks.' Earlier today, auditor-general Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi said three UKM tenders worth RM58.45 million were given to companies that were not supported by evaluation committees. Overall, the report found serious problems in how over RM460 million of public money was spent on land deals, university tenders and defence contracts. A total of five audits involving seven ministries were conducted. They covered programmes, activities and projects worth RM48.873 billion. A total of 22 audit recommendations were submitted to the ministries, departments and companies involved.
Barnama
27-05-2025
- Health
- Barnama
Stem Cell Therapy Helps Osteoarthritis Patient Regain Mobility
A knee injury that ended his amateur football career in 2003 is believed to have triggered the early onset of secondary osteoarthritis (OA) for Khairul Ikram Kamarul Bahrin, who began experiencing debilitating symptoms at a very early age of just 35 years old. Although he was still able to walk and perform his daily routines, he had to stop participating in sports to avoid worsening his knee condition. 'I tore my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) while playing football. I underwent surgery, but not long after, it tore again — and this time, the damage was worse, involving the cartilage and bone as well. Since then, my knee has never fully recovered,' said the oil and gas engineer when interviewed by Bernama recently. Khairul Ikram Kamarul Bahrin's knee condition, which was often swollen and painful, became more serious, and finally in 2020 an MRI showed that his knee cartilage was severely worn, which is a symptom of early stage OA. His knee condition, often swollen and painful, worsened over time, and in 2020 an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan revealed severe cartilage wear — an early symptom of OA. 'I was only 35 then, but the doctor said my knees were like those of a 50-year-old. I was really down. Sometimes I had to pray while sitting on a chair. The sports I loved had turned into a nightmare,' he shared. After nearly two decades of suffering, a consultation with orthopaedic consultant Prof Datuk Dr Badrul Akmal Hisham Md Yusoff from Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in early 2022, changed Khairul Ikram's life. He is now 40 years old. A COMMON PROBLEM, LIMITED TREATMENT Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease commonly seen in the elderly and better known as primary osteoarthritis, but if it is caused by some intrinsic knee injury such as cartilage damage or meniscal tear or even as a result of an unstable knee, it is referred as secondary osteoarthritis, where it is commonly and increasingly affecting physically active younger individuals aged 35 and above. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 250 million people worldwide have OA, with the knee being one of the most commonly affected joints. In Malaysia, local studies show that up to nearly 20 per cent or 1 in 5 individuals aged 50 and above suffer from knee OA. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, it is estimated that 33 million individuals aged 30–44 years experience knee osteoarthritis problems. Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that often occurs in the elderly, but is now becoming increasingly prevalent among younger people. Photo credit Contributing factors include obesity, sports injuries, genetic history, and overuse of joints. Common treatments include painkillers, physiotherapy, corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injections, and in chronic cases, joint replacement surgery. However, for younger patients who are still active and not ready for knee replacement surgery, effective treatment options are limited. This is because there are many factors that may hinder individuals under the age of 50 if they undergo knee replacement surgery—among them, the inability to sit cross-legged, sit on the floor, and for Muslims, the need to perform prayers while seated on a chair. Most concerning is the likelihood of requiring a second surgery after 15 years to replace the artificial joint due to wear and tear from intensive use. All of this makes knee replacement surgery a less attractive option for most knee OA sufferers. This has led to the emergence of regenerative treatments such as stem cell therapy, pioneered by Dr Badrul Akmal Hisham. In 2016, the UKM medical faculty researcher and professor began exploring the use of mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cords for orthopaedic conditions, particularly knee OA. 'Stem cells have great potential to stimulate the regeneration of damaged cartilage, thereby helping to restore joint function without the need for invasive joint replacement surgery,' he said in an interview with Bernama. A PROUD ACHIEVEMENT His research positioned UKM as the first institution in Malaysia to successfully conduct a clinical trial of regenerative treatment using mesenchymal stem cells on six patients, starting from 2016 to 2018, with very promising results. 'All patients involved in the clinical trial showed significant improvement, allowing them to return to normal lives. They no longer needed to rely on painkillers and were able to avoid joint replacement surgery,' said Dr Badrul Akmal Hisham. He explained that the procedure involved surgery on the affected knee followed by a stem cell injection in the same area two weeks later. 'The recovery time usually depends on the severity of the injury. If it's very serious, then more time is needed to heal,' he said. This achievement marks a major milestone in regenerative medicine in Malaysia. The use of umbilical cord-derived stem cells offers a potential alternative to joint replacement for knee OA patients. This clinical trial was presented in the International Cartilage Repair Society Focus Meeting in Milan in 2018 and also published in Cytotherapy Journal by Elsevier, in May 2019. EARLY SUCCESS AND FUTURE POTENTIAL HCTM, as an academic hospital under UKM, plays a vital role in advancing stem cell treatment innovations to support the potential of health tourism, said Dr Badrul Akmal Hisham. He added that this aligns with HCTM's mission to provide safe, evidence-based, and innovative treatments that meet international standards, while also aiming to establish a regional reference centre for regenerative medicine. Chief Executive Officer of KL Orthosports Sdn Bhd (KL Orthosports), Associate Professor Datuk Dr Badrul Akmal Hisham (fourth, left) and Director of Celler Therapeutics Sdn Bhd, Sasha Nordin (third, left)) pictured during the Memorandum of Understanding (MoA) Exchange Ceremony between KL Orthosports Sdn Bhd and Celler Therapeutics Sdn Bhd as well as the launch of the Malaysian Stem Cell Awareness Network at the HCTM Complex. 'Through strategic collaborations with research institutions and the private sector, HCTM is committed to strengthening R&D capacity. Our vision is to be a leader in innovation-based healthcare services, especially in stem cell treatment, and to become a key destination for health tourism at both regional and global levels,' he explained. According to him, UKM's commitment is further reinforced through partnerships with KL Orthosports Sdn Bhd and Celler Therapeutics SdnBhd, particularly in regenerative medicine. In addition, the launch of the Malaysian Stem Cell Awareness Network reflects efforts to raise public awareness and knowledge of stem cell therapy. The success of this clinical trial paved the way for broader access to stem cell treatment in Malaysia. However, to ensure its effectiveness and safety on a wider scale, factors such as treatment cost, regulatory approvals, and medical infrastructure must be addressed. 'With this success, we hope to provide access to more patients in need while continuing to monitor the research to ensure long-term outcomes,' he said. He also shared his vision to collaborate with eight public universities, including medical universities and Konsortium Hospital Universiti Awam Malaysia (KHUAM) to conduct multi-centre trials focusing on approximately 500 patients. 'Based on this collaboration, we believe that within less than five years, Malaysians — especially — will benefit from this stem cell treatment through this consortium of university hospitals or KHUAM,' he said. At the same time, he emphasised that while the treatment shows encouraging results for patients with mild to moderate OA, it is not a cure-all solution. 'While the treatment offers positive outcomes for many young patients, as in Khairul Ikram's case, we need to be careful in selecting suitable cases. Treatment success depends on the level of joint damage and the patient's commitment to physiotherapy and a healthy lifestyle post-treatment,' he explained. INNOVATION MUST CONTINUE According to Dr Badrul Akmal Hisham, HCTM is currently conducting more clinical studies to evaluate the long-term efficacy of the treatment across different levels of joint damage. 'This treatment has great potential, and we hope it can help more patients in the future to avoid more extensive and riskier surgeries,' he added. To him, stem cell therapy is one of the innovative branches of regenerative medicine that shows tremendous promise — not only in treating various chronic and degenerative diseases, but also as a catalyst for the growth of Malaysia's health tourism sector. 'Therefore, our main hope is that this treatment can establish Malaysia as a leading hub for stem cell therapy in Southeast Asia, attracting medical tourists from neighbouring and international countries seeking proven and evidence-based treatment at a very competitive costs,' he added. Advancements in stem cell technology are expected to further enhance Malaysia's reputation as a world-class healthcare provider, boosting investor and tourist confidence. Additionally, growth in this sector will directly contribute to the economy through increased medical tourism and indirectly via job creation and the strengthening of local research capacity. NEVER GIVE UP For Khairul Ikram, the treatment's success not only allowed him to return to sports, but also restored his long-lost spirit and self-confidence. 'Football is not just a hobby, it's part of my life. When I couldn't play, I was devastated. But after this treatment, I feel like I've been given a second chance, and I've never stopped being grateful,' he said. To those still suffering or yet to seek treatment, he offered this advice: 'Many people think knee pain is normal as you age. But if you're still young and active, and your knee starts hurting, know that it's an early warning sign. The sooner you seek treatment, the better your chances of full recovery.'
