The People’s Health Forum is a platform created in April 2019 by several not-for-profit organizations and individuals who are committed to the principle of healthcare as a human right, i.e universal healthcare as an entitlement based not on the ability to pay, but on the basis of need.
Reforms in the organization and financing of healthcare (to cope with key health challenges in Malaysia), affordable access to medicines, health equity along multiple dimensions, are among the issues that have brought members of the PHF together.
The Conveners
Dr. Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj
A medical doctor and Member of the Royal College of Physicians (UK) and a writer and advocate on medical issues and public health policies. He served two terms as Member of Parliament for Sg. Siput constituency, Perak (2008 to 2018) and is the current chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia.
Sharuna Verghis, PhD
Co-founder and Director of Health Equity Initiatives. She is a public health researcher, educator, practitioner, and advocate. She is a Senior Lecturer at the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University, Malaysia.
Chee Heng Leng, PhD
A researcher, writer, and advocate. She had an academic career, serving at Universiti Putra Malaysia, the Asia Research Institute (National University of Singapore), and KANITA / Centre for Research on Women and Gender (Universiti Sains Malaysia) at different times.
Chan Chee Khoon, ScD (Epidemiology)
A health systems and health policy analyst, and advocate for healthcare as a human right. He served as an academic staff member at the School of Social Sciences (Universiti Sains Malaysia), and at the Faculties of Medicine and Economics at University of Malaya.
Dr. Mary Suma Cardosa
A consultant anesthesiologist and visiting pain specialist at Hospital Selayang, Selangor, Malaysia. She pioneered the development of pain management clinical services, health workforce education, and research in Malaysia and was Head of Pain Management Subspecialty in the Ministry of Health’s Anesthesiology Programme. She was past President of the Malaysian Medical Association and an advocate for “Health for All”.
Chee Yoke Ling
A lawyer (University of Malaya; Cambridge University) and conducts policy research and advocacy related to global policy and treaty making especially at the United Nations, and implementation of sustainable development policies at the national level. Public health, especially access to affordable treatments, is one of her focus areas. She is the Executive Director of Third World Network.
Lim Chee Han, PhD
A public health and socio-economic policy researcher, writer and advocate. He holds a PhD in infection biology from Hannover Medical School, Germany, and an MSc in immunology and BSc in biotechnology from Imperial College London. He is a Senior Researcher at Third World Network and a founding member of Agora Society Malaysia.
Chan Yit Fei
A curriculum writer and a classical musician with a degree in medical and applied biotechnology. He is also a member of Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy and Agora Society Malaysia, advocating for human rights and human rights education. He advocates for equitable access to healthcare for all.
People's Health Forum 