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FACULTY OF MEDICINE, UNIVERSITI MALAYA

http://medicine.um.edu.my

The Universiti Malaya was established on 8 October 1949 as a national institution to serve the
higher educational needs of the Federation of Malaya and of Singapore. In 1960, the
Government of the Federation of Malaya indicated that the Kuala Lumpur Division of the
Universiti Malaya should become the national University in the Federation with effect from the
beginning session 1962/63. Likewise, the Singapore Division should become the national
University of Singapore. Steps to achieve the establishment of these two separate universities
were finalized during the year 1961 and the Universiti Malaya was established on 1 January
st
1962. The student population at that time was about 330. Since then, the University has grown
and developed rapidly. Today, the student population has grown to almost 30,000.

Establishment of the Faculty of Medicine at the Universiti Malaya

Up to the 1950’s, the Faculty of Medicine, University of Singapore, which was known previously as
King Edward VII College of Medicine had been the only medical school in Malaya and Singapore.
The output of doctors at that time was small: 60 per year. Many Malaysians had to go overseas to
seek undergraduate medical education. It was not until 1960 that a determined effort was made
to double the intake of students to 120 per year in Singapore. In 1960, a board of studies of the
Universiti Malaya was appointed to study the feasibility of establishing a medical school with its
own teaching hospital. The board recommended the early establishment of both.

To this end, the Government agreed and the Ministries of Education and of Health provided the
necessary capital funds. In 1962, a Dean for the Faculty of Medicine was appointed.

FIRST BATCH- 1969

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