KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 24 -- The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) has urged the government to increase federal funding for the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), warning that persistent underinvestment in the medical regulator threatens to weaken oversight and undermine public trust in the healthcare system.

In a press statement today, APHM president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said budgetary allocations must be enhanced for the MMC, the statutory body responsible for regulating medical practitioners and upholding professional ethics, alongside the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC).

A third critical body, the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH), which oversees nationwide hospital accreditation and quality audits,...