Malaysian Leprosy Relief Association

Malaysian Leprosy Relief Association
Formation1959 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
FounderTan Sri Tan Tong Hye
TypeAssociation
FocusAlleviation of the suffering of leprosy patients
HeadquartersTaman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Area served
Malaysia
MethodFinancial relief and aid; provision of medication, prosthetics, supplies; public awareness campaigns targeted at symptom identification and treatment.
President
Datuk Seri Rajendran Ramasamy
Executive Secretary General
Tan Yi Ming
Websitehttps://www.malra.org.my/

The Malaysian Leprosy Relief Association (MALRA) (Malay: Persatuan Pemulihan Kusta Malaysia) is a non-governmental organisation in Malaysia, established in 1959 to provide social and economic support for Malaysian citizens affected by leprosy.[1]

Under the Leper Enactment Act of 1926, individuals diagnosed with leprosy were subject to compulsory isolation,[2][3] with many patients housed at the Sungai Buloh Leprosarium.[4]

MALRA participated in efforts to shift Malaysia's public health approach from segregation to community-based reintegration, including initiatives to support the retraining of patients and former patients for reintegration into society.[5]

History

MALRA was founded in 1959 by Tan Sri T.H. Tan, a journalist and politician who served as the first honorary Secretary-General of the Alliance Party[6]. The organisation was proposed to address socio-economic challenges faced by patients not covered by government medical programmes, following a visit to the Sungai Buloh Leprosarium.[6]

The association was established with the support of Malaysia's first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman. In its early years, MALRA raised funds through national "Flower Day" campaigns to provide amenities and financial support to patients at major leprosaria, including Sungai Buloh, Pulau Jerejak, and Tampoi.[7]

Leadership has remained connected to the Tan family, with Tan Sri T.H. Tan's son, Datuk Roger Tan, serving as the forth President from 2010 to 2012,[8] and his grandson, Tan Yi Ming, currently serving as the Executive Secretary General of MALRA[9].

MALRA's original logo, used from 1959 to 2021, featured a nurse with a red crescent headdress, symbolising care, the sun, symbolising growth and health, and a red flower, representing love and compassion.

In 2021, the logo was updated, incorporating elements of the original design. A horizontal ribbon was included to represent heritage, tradition and the year of MALRA's establishment, while the nurse was replaced by a pair of upturned hands. The sun and flower were merged to form a sunflower with a central red disk, retaining the symbolic meaning of the original logo.

Role in Leprosy Control

MALRA provides supplementary support to patients receiving primary medical treatment from the Malaysian Ministry of Health and acts as the main organisation for social rehabilitation and reintegration of leprosy patients.[10]

  • National Leprosy Control Programme (1969): MALRA collaborated with the Malaysian government to shift leprosy treatment from isolated settlements to decentralized outpatient care in public hospitals.[11] These combined contributed to Malaysia eliminating leprosy as a public health issue by 1994.[12]
  • Economic Reintegration: MALRA established and managed rubber and palm oil estates and poultry farms to provide employment opportunities for residents of leprosaria.[13] The organisation also provides financial assistance to patients facing economic hardship or permanent disability caused by leprosy.[14][15][16]
  • Advocacy and Education: MALRA supports initiatives to raise public awareness of leprosy and reduce social stigma through public events, conferences, and publications.[17] It has also supported the Ministry of Health's LAKAR programme, which focuses on training, detection, treatment, and referral in managing leprosy cases.

Governance and Structure

MALRA was established as an association under the Registrar of Societies, Malaysia.[1]

The association is governed by an Executive Committee, with members elected from among its membership. MALRA operates as a federal association with nine branches across Malaysia covering:[1]

MALRA also conducts activities in the state of Perak, despite not currently having a branch there.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Jabatan Pendaftaran Pertubuhan Malaysia". www.ros.gov.my. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
  2. ^ Jayalakshmi, P (1994). "Leprosy in Malaysia" (PDF). Malaysian Journal of Pathology. 16 (1): 7–9.
  3. ^ Loong, Chou Wen; Fong, Ho Sok (2013), Loh, Kah Seng; Dobbs, Stephen; Koh, Ernest (eds.), "Oral History, Heritage Conservation, and the Leprosy Settlement: The Sungai Buloh Community in Malaysia", Oral History in Southeast Asia: Memories and Fragments, New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, pp. 159–175, doi:10.1057/9781137311672_9, ISBN 978-1-137-31167-2{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
  4. ^ "Sungai Buloh (Malaysia) | International Leprosy Association - History of Leprosy". leprosyhistory.org. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  5. ^ "The Malaysian Leprosy Relief Association – Profile, contacts and insights | The Grid". sgpgrid.com. Retrieved 2026-01-01.
  6. ^ a b OpenLibrary.org. "The prince and I by Tan, Tong Hye Tan Sri | Open Library". Open Library. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
  7. ^ "MaLRA: Five-year battle against prejudice". Archived from the original on 2018-04-26. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
  8. ^ "Scholarship: Datuk Roger Tan Memorial Scholarship 2016". StudyMalaysia.com. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  9. ^ "The Team | The Malaysian Leprosy Relief Association". MaLRA. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  10. ^ "Fighting Leprosy". The Straits Times. 17 October 1970.
  11. ^ Abdul Rahman, Norana; Rajaratnam, Vaikunthan; Peters, Ruth M. H.; Abdullah, Mohamed Rusli; Morgan, Karen (2025-12-31). "Unveiling lives: A glimpse into the daily routines of individuals affected by leprosy in Malaysia using the walk-and-talk technique". Global Public Health. 20 (1) 2488889. doi:10.1080/17441692.2025.2488889. hdl:1871.1/48e1b1c7-0d33-4205-8f89-4cc531fb886c. ISSN 1744-1692. PMID 40191937.
  12. ^ "Leprosy – a battle we can win". The Star. 2025-02-21. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
  13. ^ "Yap Thiam | The almost-groom-to-be". Echoes From The Valley of Hope. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
  14. ^ "Management of the Valley of Hope". Echoes From The Valley of Hope. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
  15. ^ "Pook Kiang Thong, A freed bird, flying towards hope". Echoes From The Valley of Hope. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  16. ^ "The Stigmatisation Of Leprosy | Sarawak Tribune". 2019-03-09. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  17. ^ ""The Way Home" | International Leprosy Association - History of Leprosy". leprosyhistory.org. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  18. ^ "Leprosy relief housing plan". The Straits Times. 28 June 1967.
  19. ^ "72 new leprosy cases detected in Sabah". www.dailyexpress.com.my. 2007-02-01. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  20. ^ David, Adrian (2017-07-16). "Zakat cheer for leprosy patients in Terengganu | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
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