Citing findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2025, MMA said only one in seven Malaysian seniors is ageing healthily, nearly one in five lives alone, and one in three caregivers is overwhelmed.
MMA president Dr R Thirunavukarasu said in a statement that doctors across the country are increasingly treating elderly patients with multiple chronic conditions, early frailty, declining mobility and cognitive impairment.
Thirunavukarasu said Malaysia should not rely solely on expanding hospital capacity to meet the needs of an ageing population, noting that the nearly 10,000 private GPs nationwide already formed a strong but underutilised foundation for community-based care.
However, he said many GPs lack the structured training, tools and support needed to consistently deliver comprehensive geriatric care, including managing multiple chronic conditions, detecting early frailty, screening for cognitive decline and coordinating referrals.
To address this, Thirunavukarasu said the proposed national programme must include clear competency standards, sustained training pathways and formal recognition of geriatric care within general practice.
He also called for a sustainable funding model, noting that GPs should be adequately reimbursed through structured mechanisms such as capitation, case-based payments or targeted subsidies.
Thirunavukarasu also urged the government to strengthen referral pathways between GPs, hospitals and community services, provide financial aid and respite services for caregivers, and develop a sustainable long-term care financing framework.
“Our seniors deserve more than fragmented solutions. They deserve a system designed around their realities – one that brings care closer to where they live.
“Malaysia already has the foundation. With nearly 10,000 GPs across the country, the capacity exists. What is needed now is leadership, structure and urgent implementation.”
He added that managing elderly patients at community clinics would ensure they receive care that is closer to home, more personalised and more dignified, while reducing congestion in public hospitals.
The NHMS 2025, which was released last week, revealed that only 14.7% of older Malaysians can be considered to be “successfully ageing”, based on criteria such as strong social support, no cognitive impairment or depression, independence in daily activities, and absence of chronic disease or well-controlled health conditions.
The report further highlighted a significant prevalence of chronic conditions among the elderly, including hypertension in 73% of cases, high cholesterol in 76%, and diabetes in 39%.