ABSTRACT
Malaysia had a total of 65 hospitals when it gained independence in 1957, and post-independence, the government focused on improving the socioeconomic development of its population. The most important developments in primary care research in Malaysia since 1960 have been in the identification of priority research areas, development of the Family Medicine Specialist Training Programme and increase in number of publications. The first documented evidence of primary care research in Malaysia was a publication on haemoptysis in 1966. The greatest primary care research capability in Malaysia now lies with the family medicine specialists (FMSs) in universities and Ministry of Health (MOH). Many FMSs who joined the Malaysian government universities as lecturers have been pursuing their PhD studies nationally and internationally, which has contributed to the advancement of primary care research. FMSs are being trained overseas and locally in various areas such as non-communicable diseases (NCDs), substance abuse, community psychiatry, community paediatrics and community geriatrics.
