KUCHING: The Federal Government has been urged to reconsider its decision to impose an 8% Sales and Service Tax (SST) on physiotherapy and Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) treatments, set to take effect in March 2024.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen emphasises that healthcare should be viewed as an “integrated holistic ecosystem,” advocating for the symbiosis or integration of modern medicine and TCM.
The Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (DAPSY) chief argues that this approach, which is an evidence-based trend worldwide, should exempt physiotherapy and TCM treatments from the impending taxes.
“On top of that, traditional Chinese medicine is one of the branches of services that have been incorporated and regulated by the Ministry of Health (MoH) Malaysia through Traditional & Complementary Medicine Act 2016 as well as the National Traditional & Complementary Medicine Policy.
“In addition to that, based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015 (NHMS 2015), it shows that TCM plays an important role in the health care of Malaysians as it shows that almost 30% of the Malaysian population uses such services for their overall wellness,” he explained.
Expressing concern over its impact on local practitioners, he welcomed Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying’s initiative to engage with the industry, Customs Department, and Finance Ministry’s tax division to find a resolution. Approximately 7,000 local practitioners could be affected by the SST implementation.
Dr Yii strongly advocates for exemptions for facilities managed by practitioners registered under the Allied Health Professions Act 2016 [Act 774] and the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act 2016 [Act 775] for healthcare purposes.
