PUNITIVE approaches alone will not succeed in reducing Malaysia’s growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad told the Dewan Rakyat today, stressing that behavioural change must be at the heart of public health strategies.
Dr Dzulkefly said while the Health Ministry (MOH) continues to roll out campaigns such as “War on Sugar” and “Fight Smoking”, these initiatives will remain insufficient unless Malaysians themselves embrace healthier habits.
“The Ministry is now focused on ensuring that the public are more informed and aware of the importance of health through accurate and easily understood information,” said the Kuala Selangor MP during the Dewan Rakyat’s oral question session.
“When awareness increases, the next approach is to use behavioural insights to help communities change their lifestyles effectively and sustainably,” he added.
He was responding to a question from Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan (BN–Kuala Pilah), who asked about ongoing efforts to address rising rates of diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
Responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN–Kuala Langat), who remarked that various MOH initiatives had yet to yield the desired impact, Dr Dzulkefly acknowledged that influencing behavioural change remained one of the ministry’s greatest challenges.
“Behavioural change is indeed very complex. People know what is ideal and best for themselves, but why don’t they do it? This could be due to financial constraints, accessibility to healthier options, or simply a lack of time,” he said.
“This strategy cannot rely solely on fines or punitive measures. What we need is for the people to first become health-literate — and that remains our biggest challenge.” - October 27, 2025
