KUCHING: With Malaysia’s medical inflation rate reaching 16.4 percent this year which is among the highest in Asia, Brolin Nicholson, Special Assistant to MP Kuching called for the urgent introduction of a National Insurance Scheme (NIS) to ensure affordable healthcare for all Malaysians, especially those in the informal sector.
Brolin warned that the rising cost of treatment is increasingly unaffordable and risks leaving many behind.
“This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive National Insurance Scheme that ensures no one is left behind when illness strikes,” he said in a media statement.
While recognising the value of existing schemes such as PERKESO, EPF, MySalam and Peka B40, Nicholsion said these programmes remain fragmented and do not adequately cover gig workers, the self-employed, or those in the informal workforce.
He pointed to South Korea and Taiwan as examples of successful national insurance models that Malaysia could learn from, emphasising the importance of political will and thoughtful design.
To ensure the scheme’s success, he proposed several key priorities: including informal sectors from the start via digital platforms, ensuring transparency and citizen oversight, aligning with existing systems to avoid duplication, and starting with pilot groups like B40 gig workers or fresh graduates.
“A National Insurance Scheme is not just healthcare policy as it’s a nation-building strategy,” he said, adding that it would protect vulnerable families, empower workers, and build a more resilient Malaysia.
By Connie Chieng