How should a Malaysian clinic or hospital handle incidents and complaints under Act 586 and MSQH?

Report prescribed incidents to the Director General of Health in writing by the next working day, and assessable deaths within 72 hours. Run a grievance mechanism with a patient relations officer, document every complaint, and in a licensed facility reply with the result of the investigation within ten working days.

What the law requires

Section 37 of Act 586 requires a private healthcare facility to report the unforeseeable and unanticipated incidents the regulations prescribe, and section 36 requires a plan for a patient grievance mechanism.¹ Under section 67, the person in charge ensures an assessable death is notified to the Director General as soon as practicable and in any case within 72 hours.¹

For hospitals and other licensed facilities, the 2006 Regulations require each prescribed incident to be reported in writing the next working day, a statistical summary every six months, and the investigation kept for at least the legal limitation period.²

Complaints, step by step

When a patient complains to CKAPS through myCKAPS.SPAB, the facility is given 14 days from the date of the Ministry's letter to explain itself to the complainant.³ Complaints about a doctor's professional conduct go to the Malaysian Medical Council.³ MSQH's Patient and Family Rights standard also asks hospitals for a patient relations officer and results to the complainant within ten working days.⁴

1. Name the patient relations officer. In writing, with a job description, decision-making authority, and a way for every patient to reach them.
2. Tell patients how to complain. Display the complaints policy and say where and to whom, as MSQH's clinic standard asks.
3. Document every complaint. The date, the channel, what was asked for, and who owns it.
4. Report incidents on time. Prescribed incidents to the Director General by the next working day, assessable deaths within 72 hours.
5. Investigate from facts. Build the sequence of events from the record and its audit trail, then the cause and the action.
6. Close the loop. Reply to the patient, record what changed, and review the trend every six months.

1. Reference ______ Incident or complaint ______
2. Date and time received ______ Channel ______
3. Patient record number ______ Area ______
4. Reported to the Director General on ______ Not required, because ______
5. Sequence of events taken from ______
6. Cause ______ Action taken ______ Owner ______
7. Reply sent on ______ Working days taken ______

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Next, patient experience under MSQH, or back to the MOH and MSQH hub.

Questions

How quickly must an incident be reported in Malaysia?

Under the 2006 Regulations for licensed facilities, in writing to the Director General by the next working day. An assessable death must be notified within 72 hours under section 67.

How long does a facility have to answer a complaint?

A licensed facility replies with the result of its investigation within ten working days. When CKAPS refers a complaint, the facility explains itself to the complainant within 14 days of the Ministry's letter.

Can CKAPS order a refund or compensation?

No. The Ministry's FAQ says any reduction, compensation or refund is at the facility's discretion, and a patient may go to a lawyer or the civil courts.

Sources

1. 1Malaysian Society for Quality in Health, 1998Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586)Read source
2. 2Malaysian Society for Quality in Health, 2006Private Healthcare Facilities and Services (Private Hospitals and Other Private Healthcare Facilities) Regulations 2006Read source
3. 3Ministry of Health Malaysia, Medical Practice Division, 2025Soalan-soalan lazim berkaitan penguatkuasaan Akta 586, 17 June 2025 (Malay)Read source
4. 4Malaysian Society for Quality in Health, 2026Service Standard 06, Patient and Family Rights, 7th Edition version 1.1Read source
5. 5Malaysian Society for Quality in Health, 2024Medical Clinic Standards, 2nd editionRead source

Written by the wai team from the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health guidance, checked on 16 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. Neither the Ministry of Health nor MSQH endorses wai or any software.