KUALA LUMPUR, 13 February 2025 – Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) and Batik Air today announced a strategic partnership to strengthen Malaysia’s position as the leading medical tourism destination. This collaboration, sealed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Dr Mohamed Ali Abu Bakar, Chief Executive Officer of MHTC, and Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy, Chief Executive Officer of Batik Air, aims to create a seamless and integrated medical tourism experience.
Through this MOU, MHTC and Batik Air will work together to enhance accessibility for international patients while amplifying Malaysia’s global visibility as a preferred healthcare destination. Batik Air will offer tailored travel packages, priority boarding for health travellers, and targeted marketing initiatives, while MHTC will focus on augmenting and coordinating efforts to raise awareness of Malaysia’s holistic healthcare ecosystem
Dr Mohamed Ali Abu Bakar, Chief Executive Officer of MHTC, shared his thoughts on the partnership: "Our collaboration with Batik Air strengthens Malaysia’s medical tourism ecosystem, ensuring international patients experience both medical excellence and our renowned hospitality with greater ease. This is one of many initiatives we are conducting to further enhance and augment Malaysia’s integrated medical offerings. This partnership represents a crucial step in our comprehensive approach to ensure patients from around the globe not only receive high-quality healthcare but also enjoy Malaysia’s vibrant culture, warm hospitality, and seamless medical tourism journey. "
Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy, Chief Executive Officer of Batik Air, added “This partnership strengthens Malaysia’s reputation as a healthcare tourism hub by providing international patients with seamless travel experiences. Leveraging Batik Air’s extensive network, the collaboration aims to enhance access to quality medical and wellness services in Malaysia. It also marks the first step in promoting healthcare travel across Indonesia, particularly in key destinations that Batik Air currently serves, including Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Bali, Batam, Lombok, Padang, Pekanbaru, Yogyakarta, Makassar, and Banda Aceh. Moving forward, Batik Air plans to further strengthen this partnership by expanding to more destinations, enhancing connectivity, and improving accessibility for international patients seeking medical treatment in Malaysia.”
This partnership between MHTC and Batik Air marks a significant step in enhancing Malaysia’s appeal as the medical tourism destination where quality healthcare and warm hospitality go hand in hand. By providing international medical travellers with greater convenience, enhanced connectivity, and dedicated support services, this partnership will ensure a stress-free journey in seeking healthcare services.
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.malaysiahealthcare.org.
