Selangor: The Selangor State Government is planning to roll out a public campaign to encourage organ donation next year, in line with the Ministry of Health's (MOH) efforts to strengthen Malaysia's organ donation and transplant system.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, State Public Health and Environment Committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the initiative is driven by Malaysia's persistently low organ donation rate, which requires coordinated action at all levels. She emphasized the need for serious attention to increase organ donation percentages and outlined the campaign's dual focus on donor registration and public awareness, particularly urging families to respect individual donation wishes.

Earlier, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad highlighted that organ transplantation would be repositioned as a national agenda, aligning with MOH's restructuring of the National Transplant Centre (NTC) to drive policy and coordination nationwide.

Meanwhile, Dr Khor Swee Kheng, Angsana Health CEO, noted that Malaysia's public hospitals are equipped with transplant expertise, but face challenges due to organ shortages. He compared Malaysia's living-donor kidney transplant rates unfavorably to those in Saudi Arabia, stressing the need for systemic solutions.

Prof Dr Rafdzah Ahmad Zaki from Universiti Malaya remarked that while repositioning organ transplantation as a national agenda is positive, its success hinges on community engagement and public trust. She highlighted the importance of converting high donor registrations into actual donations through early identification, effective coordination, and trust-building within communities.

She further emphasized that improving public perception requires more than awareness, advocating for family discussions and a consistent, empathetic service system. She proposed increasing the conversion rate of potential donors by enhancing early identification and referral systems, and placing trained donation coordinators in major hospitals.