KUALA LANGAT, Sept 27 — The Health Ministry (MOH) is evaluating the potential of traditional indigenous medicine to be officially recognised under the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2016, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said that the country has already laid the regulatory groundwork under the Act for seven other alternative medicines: Malay, Chinese, Indian, homoeopathy, chiropractic, osteopathy, and Islamic medicine.
“This involves documenting their traditional practice, which is crucial, followed by engaging with practitioners to map out those who are well-established, especially across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak.
“Ultimately, we can recognise their strengths, with the idea of enabling mutual referencing for specific cases, such as orthopaedic treatments and others,” Dr Dzulkefly told the press after launching the Jalinan Madani Programme: Empowering the Traditional Medicine of Ingenious People in the Peninsula, Sabah, and Sarawak.
He added that the effort goes beyond simply recognising these forms of medicine; it is about laying the groundwork to include traditional indigenous medicine as a meaningful part of Malaysia's healthcare system.
So far, engagement sessions have been held across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak, involving over 373 participants from more than 25 indigenous communities.
These sessions included open dialogues and field visits, during which a wide range of traditional medical knowledge and practices were documented.
The minister stressed that this matter must be approached thoughtfully and carefully, taking into account the concerns of indigenous medicine practitioners, especially issues related to intellectual property, benefit sharing, and similar matters.
“MOH is also committed to streamlining the processes needed to empower and officially recognise traditional indigenous medicine as a form of complementary medicine,” Dr Dzulkefly said.
