Some organisations are built on structure. Others are built on spirit. The Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA), now over four decades old, is very much the latter — a community shaped by pioneers who believed in something bigger than themselves, and by a new generation carrying that belief forward.
This is a story told through three voices: two senior paediatricians who watched MPA take its first steps, and a younger paediatrician growing into the legacy they left behind.
Together, their reflections show why MPA’s role is more important than ever.
The Hands That Built: Reflections From The Seniors
To understand the MPA of today, one must return to its beginnings. The MPA was officially established in 1979, emerging from the Paediatric Society of the Malaysian Medical Association that dated back to 1963.
It was a time when paediatrics in Malaysia struggled for recognition. Paediatricians were few, scattered across hospitals, often working in isolation.
Yet, a handful of determined founders believed the nation needed a unified voice to champion its youngest citizens.
The MPA matured from a mere handful of paediatricians into nearly 900 members — a remarkable feat of collective will and purpose.
From the start, the MPA was built not on privilege, but on service.
A Foundation Rooted In Advocacy And Action
We remember the pillars that defined the early decades:
Community outreach with real, human impact: Projects like the Rumah Pendidikan Kesihatan dan Pemakanan (RPKP), founded during the International Year of the Child in 1979, brought health and education to impoverished communities in Sentul.
It offered clinics, tuition classes, games, and parental engagement, and was run entirely by volunteer paediatricians who believed care must extend beyond hospital walls.
Advancing knowledge and professionalism: The Annual Scientific Congress, which began in humble lecture halls, steadily grew into a respected meeting of regional significance.
It symbolises the MPA’s determination to lift paediatrics through shared science and collective learning.
The MPA launched its official journal, the Malaysian Journal of Child Health (first issued in 1988), and initiated the Very Low Birth Weight Study, the first research project conducted by MPA itself.
Institutionalising compassion through charity: The Malaysian Paediatric Foundation (MPF), formed after the 5th Asian Congress of Paediatrics in 1985, channelled congress proceeds into research grants and equipment for children’s wards.
In 2000, through events like the first Rat Race in Asia, the MPF raised over RM354,000 to purchase incubators and infusion/perfusion pumps for hospitals in need.
Stepping beyond borders: Our members travelled to war-torn regions such as Kosovo, Gaza, Rakhine, and Afghanistan, where these Malaysian paediatricians became healers, counsellors, and witnesses to unimaginable human suffering.
Their accounts remain among the most powerful narratives of borderless paediatrics.
Elevating Malaysia internationally: Malaysia also hosted the APSSEAR (now known as APPA or Asia Pacific Paediatric Association) secretariat and became home to numerous regional and international paediatric congresses, placing the country firmly on the global map of child health leadership.
These were the years that shaped the seniors, a generation that saw MPA not as an association, but as a movement, a calling, and a guardian for children’s rights long before such language became mainstream.
The Changing Landscape: Our Reality
Fast forward to the present, and the world confronting today’s paediatricians looks very different.
The newer generation enters a field marked by increasing demands: complex diseases, climate-related health shifts, escalating mental health needs, social media pressures, violence against health care workers, and heightened medico-legal risks.
Amid this evolving landscape, many young doctors will understandably ask: “What benefits do I get from joining a professional association?”
Yet, as we reflect, reducing membership to a transactional equation misses the true value of the MPA.
The MPA’s impact today stretches far beyond the traditional conference-and-newsletter model:
The MPA leads nationwide vaccine and public health campaigns (Immunise4Life, IMFed)
It also partners with the Ministry of Health (MOH) on immunisation, adolescent health, and policy development
It is actively involved in Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
It protects children through advocacy in digital safety, bullying, nutrition, and injury prevention.
It supports research, publications, fellowships, and innovation.
It cultivates leadership among young paediatricians through sub-committees and mentorship.
For some, joining the MPA is not about receiving perks. It is about participating in shaping the future.
The Future Unfolding: Our Vision For The Next 25 Years
As the seniors hands over the torch metaphorically, we imagine what the MPA will become in the next quarter of a century:
A national voice of influence that speaks with authority on climate change and child health, school safety, digital harm, adolescent mental health, abuse prevention, and health equity to all, including marginalised children.
A digital-first organisation that organises webinars, digital courses, podcasts like MPA Speaks!, and online parent education, reaching Malaysians wherever they are.
A research engine for the nation that can strengthen multi-centre studies, national paediatric registries, and evidence-based guidelines.
A champion for paediatricians’ well-being, addressing burnout, night shift fatigue, workplace safety, and creating robust mentorship networks.
A united front across generations that honours pioneers like the late Dr Sam Abraham, Dr Sham Kasim, Dr Chin Yoon Hiap, et al, while empowering young paediatricians to lead with courage and imagination.
The future is not simply about continuation. It is about expansion, reinvention, and renewed advocacy.
Why MPA Matters: A Call To The Profession
This shared reflection from three generations leads to a simple but powerful truth: the MPA is not just a society. It is a legacy, a movement, and a voice for Malaysia’s children. And it needs every one of us.
Joining the MPA is not about discounts or convenience. It is about standing with hundreds of others who believe in a Malaysia where every child is safe, is healthy, and has a voice. Also one where every paediatrician has the support to do their work well.
We are stronger together — as caregivers, advocates, educators, and protectors.
The seniors built the foundation, and the juniors must now build the future. But the present moment — this very turning point — belongs to all of us.
For 46 years, the MPA has remained steadfast in its purpose: to protect, nurture, and champion every child in Malaysia.
The next 50 years or so will depend on the hands that choose to carry the torch.
This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.