Kuala Lumpur:The public, especially senior citizens, have been warned of scammers demanding payment or offering registration through unofficial channels for the Medicines by Post (UMP) service, as free medicine delivery is set to begin on October 1.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil emphasized that registration for the service can only be completed through Ministry of Health (MOH) facilities and is free of charge. He clarified that the registration process is not available through TikTok or Facebook accounts and can only be conducted via the MOH itself.

Fahmi announced that registered patients receiving medicines through the UMP service would no longer need to pay delivery charges as the government will cover these costs starting October 1. Initially, an RM5 million allocation was considered for the financing initiative, but additional funding will be provided to extend the benefit to all states.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had indicated that some states initially opted out of the program. However, in the spirit of Malaysia MADANI, further funding was allocated to ensure nationwide coverage of the UMP service. About 87,000 registered patients are expected to benefit from the initiative each month.

Previously, patients had to pay for delivery, with charges of RM5.70 for Peninsular Malaysia and RM12.50 for Sabah and Sarawak. The UMP service was introduced in 2011 and is a collaboration between the Communications and Health ministries, following the Internet Connectivity Enhancement Programme at Health Facilities (PERSADA), which allocated up to RM1 billion to improve Internet connectivity at government hospitals and public health clinics nationwide.