PETALING JAYA: The New Straits Times came out tops in the Medical Travel Media Awards, with Nadia Badarudin bagging Medical Travel Journalist of the Year for her story on Datuk Siti Nurhaliza’s heartwarming journey to motherhood.
Nadia beat other finalists from Radio Televisyen Malaysia, The Star and Total Croatia News.
The same article, published in Heal, the newspaper’s health and wellness pullout on Tuesdays, also won Best Print Report.
Nadia took home RM8,000 for each award and also won the Grand Prize of a three-day, two-night stay at The Haven to experience the country’s medical tourism.
The NST’s sister paper, Berita Harian, bagged the Highly Commended prize for Medical Travel Editorial Team of the Year.
The awards were given out by Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah at the inaugural awards, organised by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council.
MHTC chief executive officer Sherene Azli said the media’s efforts had been instrumental for Malaysia’s transition from being the hidden jewel of Asia to one of the leading healthcare travel destinations in the world.
Source: nst.com.my
shahizam.f@mhtc.org.my
Muhammad Rasydan Ma’at
Asst. Manager, Communications
+603 8776 6168
rasydan.m@mhtc.org.my
Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), established in 2009 under the purview of the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia, is entrusted with developing and nurturing the “Malaysia Healthcare” brand. MHTC enhances, coordinates, and promotes Malaysia’s healthcare travel industry by fostering industry collaborations and building valuable public-private partnerships both domestically and internationally. With 80 member hospitals nationwide, MHTC continues to elevate the healthcare travel ecosystem through strong branding, seamless patient experiences, and strategic market initiatives. In line with these efforts, MHTC is spearheading the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism (MYMT) 2026, the nation’s first dedicated year to celebrate and advance healthcare travel. MYMT 2026 serves as a milestone initiative to showcase Malaysia’s world-class healthcare offerings, strengthen its position as the premier global healthcare destination, and highlight the industry’s significant contribution to the national economy. More information can be found at https://www.mhtc.org.my/.
