Its minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the proposal for a benchmark was good and should be given attention to ensure health costs and expenditure paid by the people were not burdensome.

“The proposal must surely have come from parties responsible for ensuring the costs paid by the people are logical. I will pay attention to it,” he said after launching a circumcision ceremony at the An-Nur endowment clinic at the Nurul Iman Mosque in Ijok here today.

Insurance and takaful industry players had proposed fixing a benchmark on the prices of medicines and pharmaceutical supplies following significant increases in costs.

They pointed out that the spending on healthcare last year was RM60.147 billion with 52% being borne by the government, 35% by consumers and the rest by private sector insurance (7%), corporations (4%) and other agencies (2%).

They said that if the costs were not controlled, increases in medical insurance and health premiums would no longer be avoidable.