Malaysian Healthcare System Research Articles

The Influence of Health Data Spaces, Data Repositories, Data Collectives, Data Natives, and Data Commons on Artificial Intelligence for Clinical Decision-Making Among Physicians

This study investigated the perspectives of physicians regarding the influence of Health Data Spaces, Data Repositories, Data Collectives, Data Natives, and Data Commons on Clinical Decision Making in Malaysian Healthcare. In particular, this study addressed the mediating effect of artificial intelligence (AI) on the relationship between these health data concepts and Clinical Decision Making. A descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted in public and private hospitals in Malaysia. The research population entails physicians with experience handling EMR. The sample included 160 participants. The data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed using the SPSS software using descriptive and Pearson Correlation tests). Health Data Spaces, Data Natives, Data Collectives, and Data Commons showed a significant fair correlation with clinical decision-making, while Data Repositories showed a moderate correlation. Additionally, when AI is introduced as a mediator, the correlation coefficients generally increase, indicating a stronger relationship between the health data variables and clinical decision-making. The study emphasizes the importance of policymakers investing in AI-driven platforms for collaboration between healthcare organizations and technology developers, offering crucial insights to empower healthcare providers in leveraging AI for improved patient care, streamlined processes, and enhanced clinical decision-making. This research holds significance in steering the advancement of health data and AI initiatives focused on enhancing patient care and outcomes. It stands out as one of the limited endeavours that investigate the impacts of novel concepts, such as Health Data Spaces and artificial intelligence, on clinical decision-making within the Malaysian healthcare system.

Assessing Malaysian Health Care Reform

This study assesses the healthcare reform in Malaysia since its independence. Previous studies and official reports on healthcare reform were analyzed through content analysis. The discussion starts with geographical and socioeconomic factors, then moves to the inception of the Malaysian Health Care System, focusing on the development of primary health system reform initiatives in the country. This paper illustrates the rigorous journey of system reform, emphasizing that political commitment and backing from stakeholders and citizens are vital for its success

Revisiting the Policy Implications of Medical Tourism in the Post-COVID-19 Pandemic From a Malaysian Perspective: A Qualitative Study.

Background Malaysia has been one of the most prominent destination countries for medical tourism. The industry received significant government support to create a conducive environment for its growth, such as the provision of an investment tax allowance for the facilities participating in medical tourism and the establishment of the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) to coordinate collaboration between various industry stakeholders to promote medical tourism activities at the international level and facilitate inbound medical tourists. The establishment of the MHTC facilitates collaboration between various industry stakeholders. In addition to facilitating medical tourism activities, MHTC is also involved in analysing relevant data, including but not limited to the socio-demography of medical tourists, the trend of their healthcare service utilisation, revenue generated, and market intelligence to promote the industry's growth. The council serves as a medium to facilitate the collaboration of stakeholders such as the hospitals participating in medical tourism, the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia, the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health, and various government agencies, including the Ministry of Health and the Department of Immigration, Malaysia. We explore the policy-related implications of medical tourism and its relationship with the Malaysian national healthcare system. Methodology We revisited Pocock and Phua's conceptual framework of policy implications for medical tourism to explore its relevance after more than a decade of intensive government support and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. We employed a qualitative case study design using semi-structured, in-depth interviews with stakeholders from the Ministry of Health Malaysia, the private health sector, professional bodies, academics, and health-related civil society organisations. Results Our study found that many issues identified in the original framework remain relevant after over a decade. However, we also identified additional implications, such as the role of insurance portability in encouraging the growth of international hospital accreditation and the issue of equitable access to healthcare within the context of the current Malaysian healthcare system in the aftermath of COVID-19. Conclusion Due to its vulnerability, there is a need to develop a strategic collaboration that includes incorporating medical tourism activities into a broader framework, such as promoting aged care within the retirement destinations package for expatriates, which could ensure its sustainability instead of relying solely on medical tourism activities. In the meantime, policy implications arising from the industry remain relevant and should be addressed through a comprehensive structural reform of the national healthcare system involving stakeholders from the public and private health sectors.

Giving meaning to quality of healthcare in Malaysia.

Ensuring quality in healthcare calls for a coordinated, systematic, congruous, and sustained approach. Nevertheless, it demands defining what the quality of healthcare means in the local context. Presently, the Malaysian healthcare system utilizes various definitions of quality of healthcare across the different initiatives and levels of healthcare, which can lead to fragmented or ineffective quality improvement. The study aims to describe the process undertaken in developing an explicit definition of the quality of healthcare tailored to the Malaysian context, which is currently lacking. A pluralistic method was used to explore the different perspectives. Three distinct approaches were used to understand how quality is defined among the different stakeholder groups: (i) interactive policy-makers engagement sessions, (ii) a review of local quality-related documents, and (iii) an online survey engaging the public. The domains depicting quality of healthcare that emerged through these three approaches were mapped against a framework and synthesized to form the local definition of quality. A national quality-related technical working group convened on several sessions to achieve consensus and finalize the definition of quality of healthcare. Quality healthcare in Malaysia is defined as providing high-quality healthcare that is safe, timely, effective, equitable, efficient, people-centred, and accessible [STEEEPA] which is innovative and responsive to the needs of the people, and is delivered as a team, in a caring and professional manner in order to improve health outcomes and client experience. The consensus-driven local definition of healthcare quality will guide policies and ensure standardization in measuring quality, thereby steering efforts to improve the quality of healthcare services delivered in Malaysia.

Assessing Malaysian Health Care Reform

This study assesses the healthcare reform in Malaysia since its independence. Previous studies and official reports on healthcare reform were analyzed through content analysis. The discussion starts with geographical and socioeconomic factors, then moves to the inception of the Malaysian Health Care System, focusing on the development of primary health system reform initiatives in the country. This paper illustrates the rigorous journey of system reform, emphasizing that political commitment and backing from stakeholders and citizens are vital for its success

Retrospective database analysis for clinical diagnoses commonly associated with pneumococcal diseases in the Malaysian healthcare system over a 3-year period (2013–2015)

BackgroundPneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of morbidity and mortality across all ages, particularly in younger children and older adults. Here, we describe pneumococcal disease hospitalizations at Ministry of Health (MoH) facilities in Malaysia between 2013 and 2015.MethodsThis was a retrospective databases analysis. Tabular data from the Malaysian Health Data Warehouse (MyHDW) were used to identify microbiologically confirmed, pneumococcal disease hospitalizations and deaths during hospitalization, using hospital-assigned ICD-10 codes (i.e., classified as meningitis, pneumonia, or non-meningitis non-pneumonia). Case counts, mortality counts, and case fatality rates were reported by patient age group and by Malaysian geographic region.ResultsA total of 683 pneumococcal disease hospitalizations were identified from the analysis: 53 pneumococcal meningitis hospitalizations (5 deaths and 48 discharges), 413 pneumococcal pneumonia hospitalizations (24 deaths and 389 discharges), and 205 non-meningitis non-pneumonia pneumococcal disease hospitalizations (58 deaths and 147 discharges). Most hospitalizations occurred in children aged < 2 years. Crude mortality was highest among children aged < 2 years (for all three disease categories), among adults aged ≥ 65 years (for pneumococcal pneumonia), or among adults aged 65–85 years (for non-meningitis non-pneumonia pneumococcal disease). The case fatality rate, all ages included, was 5.8% for pneumococcal pneumonia, 9.1% for pneumococcal meningitis, and 28.3% for non-meningitis non-pneumonia pneumococcal disease.ConclusionsOur study is the first to document pneumococcal disease hospitalizations and deaths during hospitalization in Malaysia. Although this database analysis likely underestimated case counts, and the true disease burden could be even greater, the study demonstrates a substantial burden of pneumococcal disease. Public health measures, including vaccination, would significantly contribute to the prevention of hospitalizations and deaths associated with pneumococcal disease in Malaysia.

Factors influencing telemedicine adoption among physicians in the Malaysian healthcare system: A revisit

Factors influencing telemedicine adoption among physicians in the Malaysian healthcare system: A revisit

Cost-effectiveness of empagliflozin in the treatment of Malaysian patients with chronic heart failure and preserved or mildly reduced ejection fraction.

Empagliflozin demonstrates promising clinical benefits in patients with heart failure (HF). While an early study demonstrates that empagliflozin is cost-effective for treating HF patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in Malaysia, its cost-effectiveness for HF with ejection fraction (EF)>40% remains unclear. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of adding empagliflozin to the standard of care (SoC) for HF patients with EF>40% from the perspective of Malaysian healthcare system. Subsequently, the results were consolidated with the findings for HFrEF to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of empagliflozin when used for all HF patients in Malaysia, irrespective of EF. A cost-utility analysis was performed using a validated Markov model, which modelled a cohort of adult patients through health states related to symptom severity and functional impairment, to estimate costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). The influence of model inputs and assumptions, sensitivity, scenario, and subgroup analyses were explored. All costs were expressed in 2022 Malaysian ringgits (RM). Costs and QALYs were discounted at an annual rate of 3.0% as per local pharmacoeconomic guideline. The base-case incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for HF patients with EF>40% was RM 40,454 per QALY gained. At a cost-effectiveness threshold of RM 47,439/QALY gained, empagliflozin was cost-effective in 57% of replications. The model outcomes were sensitive to inputs related to the treatment effect of empagliflozin in reducing HF-related hospitalisation and cardiovascular mortality, and empagliflozin cost. For the overall HF population, the ICER was RM 29,463/QALY gained. The findings suggest that empagliflozin is a cost-effective treatment option for the Malaysian HF population, including those with EF>40%. As such, the intervention warrants consideration by the Malaysian healthcare provider to mitigate the burden of HF and address the unmet needs of the EF>40% population.

”What’s up with price controls?” Stakeholders’ views on the regulation of pharmaceutical pricing in Malaysia

Escalating costs have made the accessibility of drugs one of the biggest challenges faced by the Malaysian government. The government agreed to regulate drug prices by means of external reference pricing, but its proposed policy had a setback owing to much opposition from the pharmaceutical industry. The policy did gain support from the public and from non-governmental organisations because it ensured easy access to affordable medicines. Comments from public consultations with key stakeholders were used to explore stakeholders’ perceptions of the external reference pricing policy. A total of 140 comments were analysed for this study. Stakeholders’ views were classified as being from the Socioeconomic, industrial, and government sectors. To summarise, the government must carefully manage and consider stakeholders’ views to ensure a sound policy. Using Mendelow’s stakeholder mapping, this study mapped out stakeholders’ views in a systematic approach. The classification of different stakeholders’ views and recommendations led to suggestions for reviewing current practices in pharmaceutical pricing regulations in the Malaysian healthcare system. The analyses can be extended to other countries that face similar concerns.

ARIA Care Pathways 2019: Next-Generation Allergic Rhinitis Care and Allergen Immunotherapy in Malaysia.

An increase in the prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) worldwide presents a significant burden to the health care system. An initiative was started in Europe designated as Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) to develop internationally applicable guidelines by utilising an evidence-based approach to address this crucial issue. The efforts are directed at empowerment of patients for self-management, the use of digital mobile technology to complement and personalise treatment, and establishment of real-life integrated care pathways (ICPs). This guideline includes aspects of patients' and health care providers' management and covers the main areas of treatment for AR. The model provides better real-life health care than the previous traditional models. This review summarises the ARIA next-generation guideline in the context of the Malaysian health care system.

Aligning theory with practice: Child health programmes in Malaysia, a Narrative Review.

The Malaysian healthcare system, particularly for maternal and child health, has been well recognised to provide high-quality services and be at par with systems in other developed countries. Current health programmes and technological advancements effectively detect vulnerable groups of children, such as small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants, antenatally. However, the postnatal care for SGA infants is not clearly evaluated, as this group of children is mostly classified as healthy in many medical contexts, especially in primary care settings. Available health programmes and healthcare service delivery must be continuously evaluated by implementing beneficial and relevant evidence-based theories. Articles, reports and guidelines used in providing mother and child health services in Malaysia published since 2000 were reviewed. There was no specific monitoring strategy used for SGA infants without critical health issues in early childhood, as they were commonly treated as healthy infants. Several challenges in aligning theory with the current practice of healthcare service delivery and recommendations for dealing with such challenges were identified. The alignment of theory with the current practice of service delivery should be tailored to the needs and demands parallel to the dynamic change in populations in the urbanisation era.

Validation of Malay Version of the COVID-19 Burnout Scale.

From early 2020, Malaysia had to implement nationwide lockdowns, quarantines, and other social distancing practices to contain the spread of COVID-19 virus, leading to symptoms of psychosocial burnout among the people. The aim of the present research is to develop and validate a Malay language version of the COVID-19 Burnout Scale (M-COVID-19-BS). This three-phase study was conducted among Malaysian population. Phase 1 involved forward and backward translations of the Scale to Malay language by four professional bilingual translators. In Phase 2, the new M-COVID-19-BS instrument was piloted on 30 participants who suggested minor lexical modifications. Phase 3 consisted of online recruiting of Malaysian citizens to answer a composite questionnaire comprising the M-COVID-19-BS, Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF), and Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Data were statistically analyzed. The composite four-part questionnaire in Malay was answered by N = 225 Malaysian citizens. The M-COVID-19-BS instrument demonstrated a good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.926) and had a unidimensional factor structure. M-COVID-19-BS scores positively correlated with the three CBI subscales, showing evidence of convergent validity. Negative correlation was reported between M-COVID-19-BS and WHOQOL-BREF, achieving discriminant validity. M-COVID-19-BS also exhibited moderate positive correlations with the FCV-19S, thus supporting its concurrent validity. Results demonstrate that M-COVID-19-BS is a valid and reliable instrument to assess burnout symptoms related to COVID-19 among Malay-speaking populations either collectively or as a self-care tool to detect burnout symptoms without needing to further burden the already overwhelmed Malaysian healthcare system.

Involvement and Barriers Towards Provision of Health Promotion Activities Among Nurses in Kuantan, Pahang

Background: Nurses make up the single largest healthcare professional group in the Malaysian healthcare system. As frontline healthcare providers, they promote healthy lifestyles to patients and families. Nevertheless, the nurses encounter many barriers towards their involvement in providing health promotion activities. The aim of this study was to explore the nurses’ involvement and barriers towards the provision of health promotion activities. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in selected community health clinics in Kuantan, Pahang. It involved 168 nurses who were selected using convenience sampling. The study used a self-administered questionnaire that contained a section on demographic characteristics, the nurses’ involvement and barriers towards the provision of health promotion activities questionnaire. Results: The results of this study show that the participants were involved in health promotion activities. Immunisation, weight management counselling, family planning, diabetes counselling, nutritional activity and physical activity were the performance items most frequently cited by the participants in terms of involvement. Meanwhile, lack of time was the most frequently cited barrier item affecting involvement.Conclusions: In terms of continuing professional development and lifelong learning, the study provides valuable information for formulating strategies to offer training opportunities and continual support available in increasing nurses' involvement in health promotion activities.

Learning from the process evaluation of a complex, pre-conception randomised controlled trial in Malaysia: the Jom Mama project

Background Seen from a life-course perspective, pre-conception interventions are essential to reduce transmission to the next generation of obesity as a risk factor for later non-communicable diseases. The Malaysian Jom Mama project investigated the effectiveness of a combined behaviour change communication and e-health intervention in young married couples prior to first pregnancy. This paper reports on the extensive process evaluation (PE) that accompanied the Jom Mama trial. Methods In accordance with the realistic evaluation approach, a programme theory was developed for the Jom Mama project, based on key functions selected for six PE sub-studies, namely: recruitment; attrition; behaviour change communication (BCC); e-health (the Jom app); peer-support for community health promoters (CHPs); and contextual factors. The results of the first four sub-studies are reported here. Three cycles of data collection were conducted based on triangulation and a mixed-methods approach. Results The findings permitted distinguishing between theory and implementation challenges in interpreting the outcome of the Jom Mama trial.1 Recruitment and attrition proved to be challenges, and although the PE allowed Jom Mama investigators to improve procedures in order to achieve a sufficient sample size, it also has implications for engaging this age group in future pre-conception interventions. PE sub-studies showed that there were challenges in applying the BCC, and that the uptake of the Jom app varied. In one way this can be seen as an indication of limited fidelity, but it also leads to questions about how best to change the communication culture within the Malaysian health care system. Conclusions The Jom Mama PE highlighted the challenges of recruiting newly-wed couples for a pre-conception intervention. Despite thorough intervention development preparations, the PE revealed the difficulty of lifestyle behaviour change through Malaysian community health wokers who were trained on new communication strategies combined with e-health solutions, and that six intervention sessions of eight months do not constitute a sufficient dose to affect change. &lt;div style=“page-break-after: always;”&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Understanding the Healthcare Practitioners’ Experience in Managing Women with Postnatal Depression: A Qualitative Study in Malaysia

INTRODUCTION: Postnatal depression is largely underdiagnosed in many low-and middle-income countries, including Malaysia. Healthcare practitioners’ perceptions towards postnatal depression were identified as one of the main barriers to seeking help. Objective: This study aimed to explore the perceptions of healthcare practitioners about postnatal depression, and their experience in managing women with postnatal depression in Malaysia. Materials and methods: Eighteen healthcare practitioners (5 head nurses, 9 nurses, and 4 doctors) working in maternal and child health clinics and a female psychiatric ward in Kuala Lumpur were individually interviewed following a generic qualitative research design. Interview data were transcribed verbatim, and the transcripts were analyzed using framework analysis. Results: Healthcare practitioners reported that their management of women with postnatal depression was limited by the absence of a specific screening tool, and presence of stigma associated with postnatal depression. Discussion and conclusion: Healthcare practitioners were found to be aware of poor maternal mental health provision within their clinical setting and are ready to contribute to developing protocols to improve maternal mental health. As its diagnosis and treatments vary from general depression, there should be a specific direction addressed in the policy to assist in actions for managing postnatal depression. Professional training and continuous education on postnatal depression are a fundamental component in fostering quality of care, and public awareness as well as improving stigma within the Malaysian healthcare system.

Appointment structure in Malaysian healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic: The public perspective

IntroductionEvidence shows physical distancing of one metre or more is important to reduce person-to-person SARS-CoV-2 transmission. This puts the Malaysian public healthcare system to a test when overcrowding has always been an issue. A new clinical appointment structure was proposed in the Malaysian public healthcare system amidst the pandemic to reduce the transmission risk. We aim to explore the general public’s view on the proposed clinic appointment structure.MethodsA cross-sectional anonymous web-based survey was conducted between 10th September 2020 and 30th November 2020. The survey was open to Malaysian aged 18 years and older via various social media platforms. The questionnaire consists of sociodemographic, experience of utilising healthcare facilities, and views on clinic appointment structure.ResultsA total of 1,144 complete responses were received. The mean age was 41.4 ± 12.4 years and more than half of the respondents had a preference for public healthcare. Among them, 77.1% reported to have a clinical appointment scheduled in the past. Less than a quarter experienced off-office hour appointments, mostly given by private healthcare. 70.2% answered they would arrive earlier if they were given a specific appointment slot at a public healthcare facility, as parking availability was the utmost concern. Majority hold positive views for after office hour clinical appointments, with 68.9% and 63.2% agreed for weekend and weekday evening appointment, respectively. The top reason of agreement was working commitment during office hours, while family commitment and personal resting time were the main reasons for disagreeing with off-office hour appointments.ConclusionWe found that majority of our respondents chose to come early instead of arriving on time which disrupts the staggered appointment system and causes over crowdedness. Our findings also show that the majority of our respondents accept off-office hour appointments. This positive response suggests that off-office hour appointments may have a high uptake amongst the public and thus be a possible solution to distribute the patient load. Therefore, this information may help policy makers to initiate future plans to resolve congestions within public health care facilities which in turn eases physical distancing during the pandemic.

Redesigning Biomedical Science Practicum towards a New Frontier

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, majority of the Biomedical Science students were not able to undergo their clinical internship at diagnostic laboratories and this has created an impact on students’ skills and the future of the Malaysian healthcare system. Hence, our objective was to implement arevolutionized Biomedical Science practicum completely in a virtual environment, without compromising the learning outcomes during the pandemic in 2021. To achieve the intended learning outcomes, various online teaching-learning and assessment activities were carefully curated in accordance to standard program guidelines, learning outcomes, student learning time and thorough analysis of actual student logbooks. Learning materials were reinforced with various initiatives such as actual engagements with real-life scenarios via synchronous meetings with external panelists from hospitals. Online video-log (Vlog) and a logbook of daily activities were used as part of the assessment to ensure that students were able to learn and reflect on the activities performed. The study showed that all students displayed increased confidence levels in medical laboratory skills. They were also able to apply them in real-life situations due to the clear instructions and realistic experience via the virtual learning activities. Therefore, students who participated in the virtual practicum demonstrated almost similar levels of performance when compared to the students who went for physical practicums in the year 2020. Our virtual practicum has achieved its intended outcomes of empowering students with similar skills as those who underwent physical clinical placements in diagnostic laboratories. Those skills include successful acquisition of discipline-specific knowledge, collaborative and communication skills, as well as solid experimental methods and good laboratory practices.

Willingness to Pay for National Health Insurance: A Contingent Valuation Study Among Patients Visiting Public Hospitals in Melaka, Malaysia.

The Malaysian public healthcare system is tax funded, with healthcare costs highly subsidized by the Government. The current health financing is not sustainable to cover all the healthcare resources. Introducing a national health insurance (NHI), a prepayment method, would protect the population from financial hardship by reducing out-of-pocket payment, minimizing the barrier to accessing health and achieving equitable healthcare. Studies on the willingness to pay (WTP) for NHI are available in different contexts; however, little was found in Malaysia. In addition, factors affecting the WTP for NHI have been less researched in the Malaysian context. This study investigates the WTP for NHI and factors influencing it in Melaka, Malaysia. Using the contingent valuation method, the researchers distributed a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire to 489 respondents in three leading public hospitals from 1 to 9 November 2019. Multi-stage sampling forms the selection of respondents. Respondents were presented with a hypothetical scenario on NHI and asked whether they would be willing to pay for NHI. Chi-square was used to examine the association between categorical independent variables and WTP for NHI, and binary logistic regression was applied to determine the variables with the most predictive effect towards WTP for NHI. Out of 462 usable responses, 344 respondents (74.5%) were willing to pay for NHI. The majority (51.3%) of the respondents were willing to pay 15 Malaysian Ringgit (3.70 US dollars) or more for the NHI scheme. Chi-square analysis revealed that age, marital status, education level, employment status, chronic diseases, and perception towards NHI were significantly associated with WTP for NHI. Binary regression analysis found that marital status and perception towards NHI have the most predictive effect on respondents' WTP for NHI. This study revealed that the majority of the respondents are willing to pay for NHI if implemented in Malaysia. The findings lay a foundation for implementing a future NHI framework in Malaysia and reference future health financing research.

Liver Transplantation in Malaysia: Needs, Obstacles, and Opportunities.

Liver Transplantation in Malaysia: Needs, Obstacles, and Opportunities.

Malaysia Healthcare Early Response in Combatting COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020.

The year 2020 saw the emergence of a novel coronavirus—the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2—which has led to an unprecedented pandemic that has shaken the entire world. The pandemic has been a new experience for Malaysia, especially during the implementation of large-scale public health and social measures called the Movement Control Order (MCO). This paper seeks to describe the experiences of the Malaysian healthcare system thus far in combatting the pandemic. The Malaysian healthcare system comprises two main arms: public health and medicine. The public health arm focuses on early disease detection, contact tracing, quarantines, the MCO, and risk stratification strategies in the community. The medical arm focuses on the clinical management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients; it encompasses laboratory services, the devising of clinical setting adjustments, and hospital management for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. Malaysia experienced intense emotions at the beginning of the pandemic, with great uncertainty regarding the pandemic’s outcome, as the world saw a frighteningly high COVID-19 mortality. As of writing (May 30, 2020), Malaysia has passed the peak of its second wave of infections. The experience thus far has helped in preparing the country’s healthcare system to be vigilant and more prepared for future COVID-19 waves. To date, the pandemic has changed many aspects of Malaysia’s life, and people are still learning to adapt to new norms in their lives.