GEORGE TOWN, Dec 14 — The Health Ministry (MOH) is looking to introduce the Good Samaritan law — legal protection that encourages people to assist others in emergency situations without fear of legal consequences, such as being sued for unintentional harm caused during the act of assistance.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the Good Samaritan law must be put in place, and would raise the matter at the post-Cabinet meeting next week.
“How this is going to come and when this is going to come about, we will have to wait, but importantly, we will make a decision that it will be implemented (as) what other countries have done.
“This Good Samaritan law must be put in place at least within this 15th Parliamentary Session. We have three years more,” he told reporters after launching the inaugural Malaysia Community First Responder Conference here today.
He pointed out that many countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and some Asian countries have already implemented the law and Malaysia will use those countries as a benchmark.
In Malaysia, there is currently no specific Good Samaritan law in place at the national level, however, the concept has been discussed and debated as part of the broader conversation around public health and emergency response.
The introduction of such a law would align with Malaysia’s broader goals of enhancing emergency response systems and improving survival rates for incidents like sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
Meanwhile, Dr Dzulkefly pointed out that Malaysia’s survival rates for SCA are tragically low, with less than 1 per cent of victims surviving if no action is taken.
“For every minute that passes without intervention, the chances of survival drop by 10 per cent. The need for trained Community First Responders has never been more pressing and our goal is simple, to empower every citizen with the knowledge and confidence to act in an emergency,” he said.
The minister stressed that automated external defibrillators (AED) are life-saving devices that can significantly increase survival rates for SCA victims because 70 per cent of SCAs happen outside of hospitals, where the time between collapse and defibrillation is crucial.
Thus, he said with every AED installed in public spaces, it provides victims a second chance at survival while adding that Penang has already demonstrated remarkable progress in becoming a ‘heartsafe state’ due to its strategic placement of AEDs across the state.
Dr Dzulkefly noted that to date, approximately 80,000 to 100,000 lay rescuers have been trained in Penang and over 1,000 units of AEDs installed in the state, of which about 300 are public access AEDs.
“There have been an impressive 16 public saves since the AED installations. By replicating this success nationwide, we can create a heart-safe Malaysia, where no-one has to face the terrifying reality of SCA alone,” he added.
He added that the MOH will have discussions with the Education Ministry to expand existing CPR training modules in schools to ensure Malaysia produces a whole generation of people capable of providing CPR in any emergency situation.
— Bernama
