15th MAPS AGM
Petaling Jaya, 6 May 2025 — The Malaysian Association of Paediatric Surgery (MAPS) successfully concluded its 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2025 on Sunday, bringing together paediatric surgeons and surgical trainees from across the country at the Sunway Sanctuary, Petaling Jaya.
A keynote address in a lecture titled “The Future is Now: Establishing Paediatric Surgery Subspecialties in Malaysia,” by Mr Mohd Tarmizi bin Md Nor, Head of Service for Paediatric Surgery at the Ministry of Health highlighted the urgent need for Malaysia to develop structured subspecialty training pathways to meet the growing complexity of paediatric surgical care. He outlined the government’s roadmap to expand services and the intricacies of developing the programme. The challenges of taking up subspecialties was discussed between masters students, junior paediatric surgeons and senior surgeons in attendance.
A panel forum followed, entitled “Neurogenic Bladder – Unplugged”, which brought together leading experts in paediatric nephrology and urology. The session featured Professor Datin Dr Kanaheswari Yoganathan, Senior Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM); Ms Poongkodi Nagappan, Senior Consultant Paediatric Urologist from Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL); and Mr Srihari Singaravel, Senior Consultant Paediatric Urologist from University of Malaya (UM).
This interactive panel delved into the complexities of managing neurogenic bladder in children, a condition often associated with significant morbidity if not addressed early and effectively. The discussion highlighted the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration between nephrologists, urologists, and rehabilitation teams. Panellists discussed diagnostic pathways, long-term bladder management strategies, and the role of clean intermittent catheterisation.
A second forum titled, “Surgery on the Road: Challenges and Triumphs of Paediatric Surgery Outreach in Malaysia,” highlighted the logistical hurdles and clinical successes of delivering surgical care to rural and remote communities. Participants shared stories of mobile surgical teams, inter-hospital collaborations, and the importance of sustainable service models.
A thought-provoking lecture by Dr Farah Nini Dusuki from the University of Malaya’s Faculty of Law titled “The Triangle of Trust: Integrating Parental Expectations, Child Autonomy and the Legal Framework in Paediatric Surgical Care,” explored the legal and ethical complexities facing paediatric surgeons today. Issues such as informed consent, child rights, and medico-legal liabilities were discussed, underscoring the need for a nuanced understanding of the intersection between law and paediatric practice.
The MAPS Annual General Meeting was held later that afternoon, where members reviewed the association’s financial standing, past events, and charted future directions by proposing amendments to the constitution. Among the proposed amendments are to include life-long membership fees and a change in the electoral process for the next term starting next year in 2026. Other exciting highlights include the relaunch of the MAPS website by Mr Zaim Hazin Onn, MAPS’ subscription to APSA’s Not A Textbook online resource initiated by Prof Shireen Anne Nah which will prove beneficial to members and the introduction of the CARE Passport by Mr Tan Yew Wei, a mobile app that assist patients with complex congenital problems to manage their health records to ease clinician reviews.
The day ended with a fun group photo of all the MAPS members in attendance.
MAPS expressed its gratitude to all speakers, participants, and organizers from Sunway Sanctuary for contributing to a meaningful event. As Malaysia looks to the future, the AGM 2025 served as both a reflection on past achievements and a call to action to strengthen and expand paediatric surgical care across the nation.