How to open a private specialist clinic in Malaysia (2026): CKAPS requirements, steps and fees

This is not legal advice. This guide summarises rules published by Malaysia’s Ministry of Health (MOH), the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and the law as we could read them on 28 October 2026. Rules and forms change. Before you sign a lease or start renovating, confirm the current requirements with CKAPS and have a Malaysian lawyer review your structure.

The short answer

• A private medical clinic is registered, not licensed. You need a certificate of registration (Borang B) under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586). Hospitals and ambulatory care centres follow a different, licensed regime.
• Only a registered medical practitioner, as an individual, can hold it. A company cannot (section 7(1) of Act 586). A Sdn Bhd can run the business around the clinic (how to set up a Sdn Bhd), but the certificate stays in the doctor’s name.
• The application goes to CKAPS headquarters, the MOH’s Private Medical Practice Control Section, through the MyMedPCs system. You may not renovate before CKAPS approves your floor plan.
• Official fees: RM 500 to process the application, then RM 1,000 when the certificate is issued.
• Published timeline: CKAPS estimates about three months from submission. That is an estimate, not a guarantee. Budget 2027 announced an e-CKAPS portal for fully online licensing of private healthcare facilities from 2027, with a target of up to 65% shorter processing times; this is announced in Budget 2027 (9 October 2026), not yet in force, with no start date published (Budget Speech 2027, p. 49, 9 Oct 2026).
• For a specialist clinic, the doctor in charge must be on the National Specialist Register, and the clinic may only practise that specialty.

The law in one table

What	Rule	Source (date)
Clinic must be registered before it operates	Act 586, s.4; the certificate is issued by the Director General of Health (s.27) and displayed in the clinic (s.28)	Act 586 (reprint incl. amendments to 1 May 2006)
Who may hold the certificate	Registered medical practitioner only, s.7(1). Dental clinics are different: a company may own one, s.7(2)	Act 586; CKAPS registration guideline, §5.7.5 (Sept 2024)
Detailed standards (rooms, doors, ceiling height, records)	Private Healthcare Facilities and Services (Private Medical Clinics or Private Dental Clinics) Regulations 2006, P.U.(A) 137/2006	CKAPS floor-plan checklist (Sept 2024)
Renewal	None: “registered facilities do not apply for renewal”. The certificate can be revoked (s.49)	CKAPS FAQ (accessed 28 Oct 2026)
Hospitals, ambulatory care centres	Approval to establish (Borang 1), then a licence (Borang 3) renewed every two years	CKAPS licensing guideline (6 Apr 2026)

Who can open a specialist clinic

The applicant. A doctor registered with the MMC, with a current Annual Practising Certificate (APC). A serving MOH officer cannot apply. (guideline §5.9, Sept 2024)

The person in charge. Every clinic names a “person in charge” (orang yang bertanggungjawab), responsible for its management and control. For a specialist clinic, this doctor must have completed compulsory service, hold a recognised specialist qualification and be on the National Specialist Register. One doctor can be the person in charge of only one clinic. (same guideline, §5.10.3–5.10.4)

The name and scope. A specialist clinic’s name must match the specialty in which the doctor is registered, and it may not offer general practice. (§5.1.3 and §5.5.9)

Companies. The CKAPS guideline is explicit: the type of business entity “does not determine who holds the certificate”. A private medical clinic can only be owned by an individual registered medical practitioner. The rule that a company must have a doctor on its board applies to licensed facilities such as hospitals, not to clinics. (CKAPS FAQ)

Foreign investors. The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry’s business framework sheet for stand-alone specialised medical clinics lists foreign equity participation of 100% since 1 June 2012, with the MOH as regulator (MITI fact sheet, undated, read 29 Oct 2026). Law firm HHQ adds that foreign equity in private healthcare needs the approval of the MOH’s Special Committee on Foreign Equity Participation (HHQ). That sits uneasily with section 7(1). Law firm Christopher & Lee Ong wrote in September 2026 that the MOH had “indicated informally that a formal policy on foreign equity will be issued” (source, 10 Sep 2026). The MOH had not published that policy on 29 October 2026.

Before you apply: the doctor’s own papers

Requirement	What it means	Source (date)
Full registration with the MMC	Under the Medical Act 1971	MMC
National Specialist Register	Compulsory since 1 July 2017. Since 1 July 2025, the Medical (Amendment) Act 2024 also lets doctors trained through recognised “parallel pathway” programmes register. The NSR certificate (Form 13) goes in the CKAPS file	MMC NSR guidelines (Nov 2023); The Star (1 Jul 2025)
APC showing the clinic	The APC must show the name and address of the clinic being registered, as the main place of practice of the person in charge	CKAPS guideline §5.12.1 (Sept 2024)
CPD points for the APC	At least 20 points per cycle (1 July to 30 June). A new points system starts counting from 1 July 2026, for the 2028 APC	MMC (accessed 28 Oct 2026); MyCPD (6 Jul 2026)
Professional indemnity	Required to obtain an APC (Medical Regulations 2017, reg. 28(2)). The 2027 APC is due by 30 November 2026	MMC FAQ on professional indemnity (Jan 2026)

CKAPS registration step by step (procedure since September 2024)

The MOH changed the procedure on 2 September 2024: applications are now processed at CKAPS headquarters, not at state level, and the inspection happens after registration. (MOH letter of 26 Aug 2024)

#	Step	Who	Published time limit
1	Optional consultation before applying	CKAPS of your state health department (JKN or WP)	—
2	Fill in Borang A online in MyMedPCs; send the fee and supporting documents on paper to CKAPS HQ (paper until the announced e-CKAPS portal opens)	Applicant → CKAPS HQ	—
3	Review of the file and floor plan by an evaluation committee	CKAPS HQ	—
4	Surat Tiada Halangan (STH), the “no objection” letter that allows renovation	CKAPS HQ	—
5	Renovation according to the approved plan	Applicant	Within 3 months of the STH; extension on written request
6	Send the notice of completed renovation and the signed undertaking (Notifikasi Selesai Pengubahsuaian dan Aku Janji)	Applicant → CKAPS	—
7	Pay the issuance fee; Borang B (certificate of registration) is issued. The clinic may open	CKAPS HQ	—
8	Post-registration visit and standards compliance inspection (“3P”)	CKAPS of your state	—

Overall, CKAPS says registration takes “about 3 months from the date the application is submitted” (CKAPS FAQ). Its client charter sets no number of days for registration. We found no official figure beyond these.

Running a clinic before Borang B is issued is an offence. CKAPS states that a private clinic “may only operate after obtaining the certificate of registration”.

Official CKAPS fees

Item	Fee
Processing of the application (Borang A)	RM 500, by money order or bank draft to the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Health
Issue of the certificate of registration (Borang B)	RM 1,000
Change of particulars	RM 150
Transfer of ownership (Borang D)	RM 300
Duplicate certificate	RM 200
Surrender of the certificate (Borang E)	RM 300

Source: CKAPS registration checklist for private medical clinics, September 2024.

There is no renewal fee, because there is no renewal.

CKAPS checklist: floor plan and inspection items

The two official checklists (PDF): the registration checklist for private medical clinics and the PL3P floor-plan checklist, both published by CKAPS in September 2024.

CKAPS reviews your floor plan before you renovate. The checklist below is the one CKAPS published in September 2024, with the article of the 2006 regulations each item comes from.

Item	Requirement	Regulation
Premises	Commercial premises, not residential	checklist
Floor plan	Scale 1:100, drawn by a draughtsman	checklist
Ceiling height	More than 2.4 m if air-conditioned, more than 3.0 m if not	reg. 40(1)
Consultation room	One per doctor; minimum side 3.0 m and minimum area 11.1 m²	reg. 91(1)(a)
Treatment room	Minimum side 2.4 m, minimum area 8.0 m²	reg. 91(2)(a)
Minor surgery room	Minimum side 2.4 m, minimum area 8.0 m²	reg. 91(3)
Entrance and room doors	Clear opening of at least 1.2 m	reg. 37(1)
Patient toilet door	At least 0.9 m	reg. 37(2)
Patient corridors	At least 1.2 m wide	checklist
Ramp	Gradient 1:12	checklist
Staircase (if upstairs)	At least 1.1 m wide	Uniform Building By-Laws

Source: CKAPS PL3P floor-plan checklist, September 2024. Read the full document: it lists more items than this table.

Other approvals a clinic usually needs

These are separate from CKAPS. Each one has its own authority.

Topic	Authority	What applies	Source (date)
X-ray and other radiation equipment	Director General of Health, for medical use (Atomic Energy Department statement, Malay Mail, 20 Apr 2026)	Licence under the Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984 (Act 304), renamed the Atomic Energy Act 1984 by an amending Act (A1779) partly in force since 1 December 2025. Act 304 was amended, not replaced	Bernama (2 Dec 2025)
Clinical waste	Department of Environment (DOE)	Clinical waste is scheduled waste code SW 404: notify the DOE within 30 days, store for no more than 180 days, use licensed transporters and facilities, fill in a consignment note for each consignment, register in eSWIS (DOE statement reported by Bernama)	Scheduled Wastes Regulations 2005; Bernama (2022)
Dispensing medicines	MOH Pharmacy Division	A registered doctor may supply medicines (other than Group A poisons) to their own patients, without a pharmacy licence, and must keep a prescription book (Poisons Act 1952, ss.19 and 24). Confirmed by the Federal Court in March 2025	Poisons Act 1952; Malay Mail (3 Mar 2025)
Advertising	Medicine Advertisements Board (MAB) and MMC	Advertising clinic services needs the MAB’s prior approval and a KKLIU number; before-and-after photos are not allowed. Doctors’ own information, social media included, follows the MMC guideline	MAB policy (15 May 2025); MMC guideline (Sept 2025)
Signboard and premises licence	Local council (DBKL, MBPJ…)	A signboard licence is needed in Kuala Lumpur, with Malay as the main language. Business premises licensing is set by each council’s by-laws	Sinar Harian (2024)
Fire certificate	Fire and Rescue Department (BOMBA)	An annual fire certificate is required only for “designated premises” under the Fire Services Act 1988. BOMBA decides whether a building is designated premises	Fire Services Act 1988 summary (May 2024, private firm)
Staff	EPF, PERKESO, LHDN	Register with EPF within 7 days of the first hire, and with PERKESO (SOCSO and EIS) within 30 days; get an employer tax number and deduct PCB	EPF; PERKESO

Rules that changed in 2025–2026

• Medicine price display. The Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Price Marking for Drug) Order 2025 took effect on 1 May 2025 and requires clinics to display medicine prices. On 21 May 2026 the High Court stayed its enforcement against private clinics until it rules on the doctors’ challenge. The Malaysian Medical Association said on 2 August 2026 that the stay was still in force. (CodeBlue, 21 May 2026; MMA, 2 Aug 2026)
• Consultation fees for GPs. An amendment to the fee schedule (P.U.(A) 150/2026), in force from 2 April 2026, raised the range of general practitioner consultation fees, according to CodeBlue (2 Apr 2026)

GP clinic or specialist clinic: what changes

Very little. A general practice (GP) clinic and a specialist clinic are both private medical clinics under Act 586: the same registration (s.4), the same rule that only an individual registered doctor holds the certificate (s.7), the same Borang A and Borang B, the same fees and the same floor-plan checklist. What differs for a specialist clinic: the doctor in charge must be on the National Specialist Register, the clinic’s name must match the specialty, and it may not offer general practice (CKAPS registration guideline, §5.1.3, §5.5.9 and §5.10.3, Sept 2024).

Clinic, ambulatory care centre or hospital?

If you plan day surgery or procedures with patients staying a few hours, you may need a private ambulatory care centre instead. It is a separate category under Act 586, with an approval to establish and then a licence renewed every two years. The MOH’s 2026 licensing guideline lists RM 1,500 for the approval application and RM 1,200 plus RM 5 per bed for the licence (CKAPS licensing guideline, 6 Apr 2026). Fertility (IVF) centres have no dedicated law; the MOH publishes standards for assisted reproduction facilities. Ask CKAPS which category your project falls under before you sign a lease.

What we do not publish

Set-up costs, equipment prices, revenue, margins, breakeven periods and exit valuations. We found no reliable, dated source for any of them, and they depend on your specialty, location and lease. Get quotes from contractors and suppliers, and ask an accountant to build your own figures.

FAQ

What are the CKAPS requirements for a clinic? A registered doctor applies in their own name on Borang A through MyMedPCs, with a current APC showing the clinic’s address, the floor plan at 1:100 and the RM 500 fee. The premises must be commercial and meet the room, door and ceiling sizes of the 2006 regulations (see the checklist table above). For a specialist clinic, the doctor in charge must also be on the National Specialist Register.

What is on the CKAPS inspection checklist? Since September 2024, CKAPS checks the floor plan before renovation and inspects the clinic after registration (“3P” compliance inspection). The published floor-plan checklist covers room sizes, door widths, ceiling height, corridors, ramp and staircase. Download it from CKAPS.

What are the requirements to open a GP clinic in Malaysia? The same CKAPS procedure as above: Borang A through MyMedPCs, an APC showing the clinic’s address, a floor plan at 1:100, RM 500 and then RM 1,000. Only the specialist-register requirement does not apply (Act 586; CKAPS FAQ, accessed 28 Oct 2026).

Do I apply in my state, for example in Penang? No. Since 2 September 2024, applications are processed at CKAPS headquarters through MyMedPCs, whatever the state. The CKAPS office of your state health department can give an optional consultation before you apply, and carries out the visit after registration (MOH letter of 26 Aug 2024).

Where can I download the CKAPS guidelines PDF? From the MOH’s medical practice site: the registration guideline (Sept 2024), the registration checklist, the floor-plan checklist and, for hospitals and ambulatory care centres, the licensing guideline (6 Apr 2026).

What is Borang B? The certificate of registration of a private medical clinic. It is issued once the RM 1,000 fee is paid and must be displayed in the clinic. Borang C is the equivalent for dental clinics.

Is it a CKAPS licence or a registration? A registration. Clinics are registered for life unless the certificate is revoked or surrendered. Licences, renewed every two years, are for hospitals and other licensed facilities.

How long does CKAPS registration take? CKAPS estimates about three months from submission. Budget 2027 (9 October 2026) announced an online e-CKAPS portal from 2027 aiming to cut processing times by up to 65%; it was not yet in operation on 29 October 2026. After the “no objection” letter, you have three months to complete the renovation.

Can a company or a foreigner own a specialist clinic? The certificate of a private medical clinic can only be issued to an individual registered doctor. A company can run the business, and MITI’s framework sheet lists 100% foreign equity for stand-alone specialist clinics since 1 June 2012, but no published policy explains how the two fit together. Get written confirmation from the MOH and legal advice first.

Do I need an AELB licence for an X-ray machine? No. For medical use, the licensing authority is the Director General of Health, under the Atomic Energy Act 1984 (formerly the Atomic Energy Licensing Act); Atom Malaysia licenses non-medical uses, according to the Atomic Energy Department (Malay Mail, 20 Apr 2026).

About this edition

This guide was rebuilt from scratch on 28 October 2026. The previous version contained errors on who can own a clinic, on which authority licenses X-ray equipment, and on the order of the CKAPS steps. We also removed its revenue and profit projections: they had no source. We do not publish set-up cost estimates either, because we found no reliable, dated source for them.

Sources and corrections

All sources were read on 28 October 2026 and re-checked on 29 October 2026. Spotted an error or a rule that has changed? Write to the editors: we correct within 48 hours and date every change.