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Dear colleagues,
My name is Ashok Philip. I am a specialist in Internal Medicine and currently practising in the private
sector in Malaysia. I am a past President of the Malaysian Medical Association. I remain active in the
association and am involved in discussions about changes that being contemplated for the healthcare
system here.
I have been nominated by the Malaysian Medical Association to stand for an election to the post of
President-Elect of the WMA for the term starting in October 2023. Please allow me to say something
about my experiences in this association.
Since first I attended the General Assembly in Moscow in 2015, I have been in several WMA
committees and working groups. Of particular note to me were the workgroup on governance reform
and the advocacy committee, which I chaired. At present, I represent the Pacific region in Council as
an Additional Standing Committee Member.
It is clear that large and small member associations have vastly different experiences of the WMA, and
reducing these differences are vital in ensuring our policies, guidelines and statements are more
balanced, inclusive and relevant.
I am seeking the post of President-Elect as a representative of a small member association, hoping to
enhance the already welcoming and open culture of the WMA so that the small associations can more
easily raise and discuss their concerns and priorities. This in turn will improve WMA’s relevance among
the profession as a whole.
If these aspirations seem relevant to you, I hope I may count on your votes and support.
Thank you.
Ashok Philip