MPs, senators to undergo mandatory annual health screening

 

The government will make it mandatory for MPs and senators to undergo yearly health screenings in Parliament.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the screenings of Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara members for this year will be done during the next Parliament session in May.

The decision was reached after today’s Agenda Nasional Sihat Malaysia (ANSM) Cabinet Committee meeting.

“Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari (Abdul) suggested for MPs and maybe Dewan Negara members undergo screenings on a regular basis.

“But the committee has suggested that health screenings be conducted once a year during Parliament sittings,” he said at a press conference after the meeting.

Zahid added that the committee, which comprises representatives from several ministries, also agreed to conduct a massive awareness campaign for the public.

ANSM is a 10-year wellness plan approved in 2020 and officially launched in 2021 during the Ismail Sabri Yaakob administration, to guide the nation towards making healthy living a culture as it steers out of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It comprises four pillars - strengthening the promotion of healthy living, strengthening health promotion services, empowering personal health and strengthening environmental cleanliness.

In a statement today, the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office said phase one of ANSM which took place from 2020 to 2022 focused on planning, engagements with strategic partners and preparing relevant policy papers.

Today’s meeting agreed to initiatives in phase two consisting of policies and financial implications of the programme in the long term. - Mkini