Diabetes, Obesity and Non-Communicable Diseases: Malaysia's Biggest Health Challenge

More than half of Malaysia’s adults today carry a weight that could shorten their lives — and one in six is already living with diabetes, many without realising it. This is the silent epidemic that burdens hospitals, families and the national economy far more than any infectious disease.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) — diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity — are now Malaysia’s greatest public health challenge. This article summarises what the official data shows, why things have come to this, and what you can do today.

How bad is it according to the data?

The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) is the official nationwide study conducted by the Ministry of Health Malaysia to monitor the population’s health. The 2023 edition revealed a worrying picture.

About 15.6% of adults — over 3.6 million people — have diabetes. More troubling still, two in five adults are unaware that they have it, and among youth aged 18 to 29, roughly 84% of cases remain undiagnosed.

Meanwhile, 54.4% of adults are overweight or obese, up from 50.1% in 2019. This is not a static figure: adult obesity in Malaysia was only around 8.4% in 1990, so the burden has more than doubled within a single generation.

Condition (adults)	NHMS 2023 prevalence	Estimated number
Diabetes	15.6%	~3.6 million
High blood pressure (hypertension)	29.2%	~6.7 million
High cholesterol	33.3%	~7.5 million
Overweight	32.6%	—
Obesity	21.8%	—
Overweight + obesity (combined)	54.4%	—

Source: NHMS 2023 (Ministry of Health Malaysia), as reported by CodeBlue and analysis in PubMed Central.

Why are NCDs considered a crisis, not just statistics?

The real danger of NCDs is that they rarely come alone. NHMS 2023 found that over two million Malaysian adults live with three of the four major chronic diseases at once, while 2.5% of the adult population — more than half a million people — carry all four: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.

These combinations reinforce one another. Among them:

• 5.1% of adults have diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol at the same time.
• 2.9% have hypertension, high cholesterol and obesity.
• 1.2% have diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

Each combination raises the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and blindness. Because many cases go undetected until a late stage, many patients only learn of their condition once complications have already set in. This is why early screening is so important.

What is the government doing to prevent it?

Malaysia’s prevention policy moves on three fronts: reducing sugar intake, making healthy choices easier, and detecting disease earlier.

Tax on sugary drinks (“sugar tax”). First imposed in 2019 at a rate of 40 sen per litre, this excise tax targets high-sugar beverages. It has been raised in stages — to 50 sen, then to 90 sen per litre from 1 January 2025 as announced in Budget 2025. The tax applies to non-alcoholic beverages containing sugar exceeding 5 grams per 100ml, and fruit/vegetable juices exceeding 12 grams per 100ml. The aim is to encourage manufacturers to reformulate products to be less sweet, and to prompt consumers to choose low-sugar alternatives.

Healthier Choice Logo. This voluntary logo run by the Ministry of Health appears on food and drink packaging that meets certain nutrient criteria — for example, lower in sugar, salt or fat than comparable products. It helps consumers make healthier choices at a glance on the store shelf, without having to read every nutrition label.

PeKa B40. A free health screening scheme for low-income groups, explained in more detail below.

Measure	What it does	Key details
Tax on sugary drinks	Raises the price of high-sugar beverages	90 sen/litre (from 1 Jan 2025); threshold >5g sugar/100ml
Healthier Choice Logo	Marks healthier products on the shelf	Voluntary; run by MOH
PeKa B40	Free screening & medical assistance	STR + spouse, aged 40+

Where can you go for screening?

Early detection can change the outcome entirely, and for many Malaysians it is free.

PeKa B40 is a Ministry of Health initiative managed by ProtectHealth Corporation. Recipients of Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and their registered spouses aged 40 and above are automatically eligible — no special registration is required. The scheme offers four key benefits:

1. Health screening — medical history, mental health screening, physical examination as well as blood and urine laboratory tests at MOH clinics or registered private clinics.
2. Medical device assistance — up to RM20,000 for equipment such as stents, prostheses, pacemakers, wheelchairs and hearing aids, when treated at MOH hospitals.
3. Cancer treatment incentive — RM1,000 in total (RM300 when starting treatment, RM700 after completing it) at MOH hospitals.
4. Transport incentive — up to RM500 (Peninsular) or RM1,000 (Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan) to cover travel costs to MOH hospitals.

If you are not eligible for PeKa B40, public Health Clinics across the country still offer basic check-ups such as blood sugar, blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) at very low cost. Many employers and insurance companies also provide annual health check-ups.

A simple rule of thumb: if you are aged 30 and above, or have a family history of diabetes or heart disease, an annual blood sugar and blood pressure test is a sensible step — even if you feel completely well. Many cases show no symptoms until it is too late.

What next

• Know your numbers. Find out your blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol and BMI. If you are eligible for PeKa B40, book a free screening at a registered clinic.
• Cut sugar gradually. Choose drinks with the Healthier Choice Logo or with no added sugar; the sugar tax means low-sugar alternatives are now often cheaper.
• Do not wait for symptoms. Diabetes and hypertension are often “silent” — regular screening is the surest way to catch them early.
• For personal decisions, consult a medical officer at your nearest Health Clinic. This guide is general information and not medical advice.