
All Writings
For COVID-2019: please click here.
For business-as-usual health systems, health policies & global health:
Political Transition in Malaysia (Feb-Mar 2020)
- How to Select a Health Minister (The Star, 4 Mar 2020)
- Dear Health Minister – here are your priorities (The Star, 11 Mar 2020)
- How to Treat Powerlessness in Malaysia’s Politics (Malay Mail, 13 Mar 2020)
Malaysia's Health System
- What is a Health System? (The Star, 8 July 2019)
- Do we want Health, or Healthcare? (The Star, 10 July 2019)
- Health is more than just the Health Ministry (The Star, 18 July 2019)
- “Don’t tell me what; tell me how” (The Star, 25 July 2019)
- Cutting Queues in Public Hospitals (Penang Institute, 5 Aug 2019)
- Paternalism in Healthcare: Part 1 (The Edge, 4 Nov 2019) – with Mark Cheong
- Paternalism in Healthcare: Part 2 (The Edge, 11 Nov 2019) – with Mark Cheong
- How to increase transparency in MOH (The Star, 15 Jan 2020)
- Prevention over Cure (Penang Institute, 16 Aug 2019)
- Is our system in crisis? Polio & Deregulation (The Star, 10 Dec 2019)
The Politics of Health
- The Vital Signs of Merdeka (The Star, 5 Sept 2019)
- Free to be Healthy (The Edge, 24 Aug 2019)
- The Politics of Sihat Bersama 2030 (Malaysiakini, 18 Jan 2020)
Financing & Resource Allocation
- How much money should we allocate to health? (The Star, 21 July 2019)
- Malaysia’s government must spend 10% only for health. (The Star, 7 Aug 2019)
- How to improve stewardship of Health Ministry funds (The Star, 14 Aug 2019)
- Where should MOH spend its money in 2020: Part 1 (The Star, 21 Aug 2019)
- Where should MOH spend its money in 2020: Part 2 (The Star, 28 Aug 2019)
- How do we decide on resource allocations? (The Star, 18 Sept 2019)
- How to make budget decisions as fair as possible (The Star, 25 Sept 2019)
- Reactions to Budget 2020 (The Star, 23 Oct 2019)
- Reducing Moral Hazards (Penang Institute, 17 Mar 2020)
Controlling Costs
The Health Workforce
- Future-proofing Malaysia’s Health Workforce (Penang Institute, 26 April 2019)
- How many doctors does Malaysia need? (The Star, 6 Nov 2019)
- How many medical schools does Malaysia need? (The Star, 20 Nov 2019)
- How to choose the best medical students? (The Star, 4 Dec 2019)
- How to reform Malaysia’s medical schools (The Star, 18 Dec 2019)
Leading & Governing Health
- Modern Medicine Conceals Weaknesses of Systems (Berita MMA, 13 Nov 2019). A bulletin of the Malaysian Medical Association.
- How to reform Malaysia’s health governance (Berita MMA, 15 Jan 2020).
Joint Statements
- Reinstate Critical Service Allowance (The Star and others, 30 Dec 2019). With five associations representing dentists, doctors, medical assistants, nurses and pharmacists.
- Call for Motorcycle Safety (Malaysiakini and others, 2 Jan 2020). With 12 other surgeons and traumatologists.
- Stand Firm on Smoking Ban (The Star and others, 15 Jan 2020). With seven professional associations.
Polio in Sabah
- Mandatory Vaccines in Malaysia (Malaysiakini and others, 10 Dec 2019). Signed with 32 other doctors and professionals.
- A Response by the Academy of Medicine Malaysia (The Star and others, 16 Dec 2019). For and with the AMM.
- The Case for Vaccinating Non-Citizens (Malay Mail, 16 Dec 2019). With Tharani Loganathan.
- The Case for Mandatory Vaccinations (The Edge, 17 Dec 2019)
- The Geopolitics of Polio in Southeast Asia (Council on Foreign Relations, 20 Dec 2019)
Refugees, Migrants & Non-Citizens Health
- Proposing a Non-Citizens Health Act (The Star and others,11 Jan 2020)
- Working Paper on Global Refugee Health (Council on Foreign Relations, 30 Jan 2020). Co-authored with David Heymann, the physician who discovered Ebola in 1976.
Malaysian Politics, Economics & Society
- #MakeMalaysiaBetter (Malaysiakini, 1 Aug 2015)
- Where are the Malaysian Statesmen? (The Star, 30 Apr 2019)
- Projecting Malaysia’s Soft Power (Penang Institute, 9 Aug 2019)
- Economic benefits of flexible work arrangements (Penang Institute, 15 Nov 2019). With Darshan Joshi.
- Non-economic benefits of flexible work arrangements (Penang Institute, 15 Nov 2019). With Darshan Joshi.
- Lessons from Vision 2020 (The Star, 1 Jan 2020)
South East Asia
- The brain drain of health professionals from SEA (Council on Foreign Relations, 11 Dec 2019)
- Elite Capture in Southeast Asia (New Mandala, 10 Jan 2020)
- The march of private healthcare in SEA (Council on Foreign Relations, 17 Jan 2020)
AT A GLANCE:
Malaysia’s Health System
- What is a Health System? (The Star, 8 July 2019)
- Do we want Health, or Healthcare? (The Star, 10 July 2019)
- Health is more than just the Health Ministry (The Star, 18 July 2019)
- “Don’t tell me what; tell me how” (The Star, 25 July 2019)
- Cutting Queues in Public Hospitals (Penang Institute, 5 Aug 2019)
- Paternalism in Healthcare: Part 1 (The Edge, 4 Nov 2019) – with Mark Cheong
- Paternalism in Healthcare: Part 2 (The Edge, 11 Nov 2019) – with Mark Cheong
- How to increase transparency in MOH (The Star, 15 Jan 2020)
- Prevention over Cure (Penang Institute, 16 Aug 2019)
- Is our system in crisis? Polio & Deregulation (The Star, 10 Dec 2019)
The Politics of Health
- The Vital Signs of Merdeka (The Star, 5 Sept 2019)
- Free to be Healthy (The Edge, 24 Aug 2019)
- The Politics of Sihat Bersama 2030 (Malaysiakini, 18 Jan 2020)
- How to Select a Health Minister (The Star, 4 Mar 2020)
- Dear Health Minister – here are your priorities (The Star, 11 Mar 2020)
Health Financing & Resource Allocation
- How much money should we allocate to health? (The Star, 21 July 2019)
- Malaysia’s government must spend 10% only for health. (The Star, 7 Aug 2019)
- How to improve stewardship of Health Ministry funds (The Star, 14 Aug 2019)
- Where should MOH spend its money in 2020: Part 1 (The Star, 21 Aug 2019)
- Where should MOH spend its money in 2020: Part 2 (The Star, 28 Aug 2019)
- How do we decide on resource allocations? (The Star, 18 Sept 2019)
- How to make budget decisions as fair as possible (The Star, 25 Sept 2019)
- Reactions to Budget 2020 (The Star, 23 Oct 2019)
- Reducing Moral Hazards (Penang Institute, 17 Mar 2020)
Controlling Healthcare Costs
- Why are healthcare costs rising? (The Star, 12 Sept 2019)
- How to reduce unnecessary healthcare demand and cost (The Star, 2 Oct 2019)
- How to reduce costs of private hospitals, private insurance and medicines (The Star, 9 Oct 2019)
The Health Workforce
- Future-proofing Malaysia’s Health Workforce (Penang Institute, 26 April 2019)
- How many doctors does Malaysia need? (The Star, 6 Nov 2019)
- How many medical schools does Malaysia need? (The Star, 20 Nov 2019)
- How to choose the best medical students? (The Star, 4 Dec 2019)
- How to reform Malaysia’s medical schools (The Star, 18 Dec 2019)
Leading & Governing Health Systems
- Modern Medicine Conceals Weaknesses of Systems (Berita MMA, 13 Nov 2019). A bulletin of the Malaysian Medical Association.
- How to reform Malaysia’s health governance (Berita MMA, 15 Jan 2020).
Joint Statements
- Call for Motorcycle Safety (Malaysiakini and others, 2 Jan 2020). With 12 other surgeons and traumatologists.
- Stand Firm on Smoking Ban (The Star and others, 15 Jan 2020). With seven professional associations.
- Reinstate Critical Service Allowance (The Star and others, 30 Dec 2019). With associations representing dentists, doctors, medical assistants, nurses and pharmacists.
Polio in Sabah
- Mandatory Vaccines in Malaysia (Malaysiakini and others, 10 Dec 2019). Signed with 32 other doctors and professionals.
- A Response by the Academy of Medicine Malaysia (The Star and others, 16 Dec 2019). For and with the AMM.
- The Case for Vaccinating Non-Citizens (Malay Mail, 16 Dec 2019). With Tharani Loganathan.
- The Case for Mandatory Vaccinations (The Edge, 17 Dec 2019)
- The Geopolitics of Polio in Southeast Asia (Council on Foreign Relations, 20 Dec 2019)
Refugees, Migrants and Non-Citizens
- Proposing a Non-Citizens Health Act (The Star and others,11 Jan 2020)
- Working Paper on Global Refugee Health (Council on Foreign Relations, 30 Jan 2020). Co-authored with David Heymann, the physician who discovered Ebola in 1976.
Politics, Economics and Society (Non-Health Related)
- #MakeMalaysiaBetter (Malaysiakini, 1 Aug 2015)
- Where are the Malaysian Statesmen? (The Star, 30 Apr 2019)
- Projecting Malaysia’s Soft Power (Penang Institute, 9 Aug 2019)
- Economic benefits of flexible work arrangements (Penang Institute, 15 Nov 2019). With Darshan Joshi.
- Non-economic benefits of flexible work arrangements (Penang Institute, 15 Nov 2019). With Darshan Joshi.
- Lessons from Vision 2020 (The Star, 1 Jan 2020)
South East Asia
- The brain drain of health professionals from SEA (Council on Foreign Relations, 11 Dec 2019)
- Elite Capture in Southeast Asia (New Mandala, 10 Jan 2020)
- The march of private healthcare in SEA (Council on Foreign Relations, 17 Jan 2020)