Sourced by A/Prof Rafidah Zainon, Editor (Professional), AFOMP Pulse
On 7 November 2025, the Malaysian Association of Medical Physics (MAMP) commemorated the International Day of Medical Physics (IDMP) 2025 through a national virtual celebration that brought together medical physicists, regulators, academics, students, industry partners, and members of the public from across Malaysia. The theme for IDMP 2025, “Medical Physics and Emerging Technologies: Shaping the Next Decade,” reflects the profound transformation occurring in healthcare systems worldwide and the increasingly role of medical physicists in implementing these advances safely. Rapid development in artificial intelligence, adaptive and image-guided radiotherapy, molecular and functional imaging, data analytics and automation are reshaping clinical practice. In this evolving landscape, medical physicists are not only technical specialists but also leaders in quality assurance, safety governance, and technological validation. Their expertise ensures that innovation is safely integrated into patient care while maintaining the highest standards of safety and precision.
In Malaysia, this theme resonates strongly with ongoing national progress. Radiotherapy services have expanded to include advanced IMRT/VMAT and stereotactic techniques, and increasingly sophisticated image guidance systems. Diagnostic imaging optimisation and radiation dose management initiatives have strengthened nationwide, supported by regulatory oversight and structured quality assurance frameworks. Malaysian medical physicists have played central roles in commissioning new technologies, establishing local QA protocols, supporting accreditation processes, and contributing to research in dosimetry, imaging verification, and treatment validation. These developments demonstrate that Malaysia is actively shaping the safe clinical integration of emerging technologies. Aligned with the mission of the International Organization for Medical Physics (IOMP) and the Asia-Oceania Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (AFOMP), MAMP structured its IDMP 2025 celebration to reflect professional leadership, scientific advancement, and public engagement.
The event commenced with a welcome address by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hafiz Mohd Zin, President of MAMP (2025–2026), who emphasised that preparing for the next decade requires strong governance and unified professional collaboration of the professions. This was followed by the official recorded IDMP 2025 message from Prof. John Damilakis, immediate past President of IOMP, reaffirming the global recognition of medical physicists as key contributors to safe and innovative healthcare systems.
A significant milestone during the celebration was the launch of the MAMP Membership Portal, a new digital platform designed to modernise membership management and strengthen connectivity among Malaysian medical physicists working in public hospitals, private centres, universities, and regulatory bodies. This initiative reflects the broader digital transformation taking place within Malaysia’s healthcare ecosystem. Another important development highlighted during the celebration was the official launch of MAMP’s journal, Physics and Technology in Medicine (PTM) under its new international publisher, Wolters Kluwer, accessible via https://journals.lww.com/ptm/. PTM welcomes submission of short format, original research articles, review articles, technical notes, quality assurance reports, feasibility and validation studies, clinical implementation reports, particularly work with strong clinical relevance, practical implementation value, and technical robustness in medical physics and related technologies. This transition is aimed to enhance the journal’s visibility and editorial standards, reinforcing Malaysia’s growing contribution to regional and international scientific discourse in medical physics.
A central component of the IDMP celebration programme was the public webinar entitled “Advances in Medical Imaging and Radiotherapy — The Role of Medical Physicists in Malaysia.” The session was moderated by Prof. Dr. Ahmed Taufek Abdul Rahman from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), who facilitated discussion on emerging technologies and the evolving responsibilities of medical physicists. Dr. Mohamad Aminudin Said from Institut Kanser Negara (National Cancer Institute) spoke on developments in theranostics and the expanding role of medical physicists in personalised radionuclide therapy, highlighting dosimetry optimisation, safety considerations, and precision treatment delivery. His presentation illustrated how theranostics represents a significant advancement in precision oncology and reflects Malaysia’s growing capabilities in nuclear medicine and targeted cancer therapy. Ms. Ruice Foo Ye Hsean from Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur discussed the implementation of advanced radiotherapy technologies within the private healthcare sector, emphasising multidisciplinary collaboration, workflow optimisation, and the importance of maintaining rigorous quality assurance standards in increasingly complex treatment environments. Ms. Nurmazaina Md Ariffin from the Medical Radiation Surveillance Division (MRSD), Ministry of Health Malaysia, presented the regulatory perspective, outlining national radiation protection frameworks, compliance mechanisms, and governance strategies that ensure emerging medical technologies are adopted safely and responsibly. Together, the webinar provided a comprehensive overview of clinical innovation, regulatory governance, and professional responsibility in Malaysia. By presenting complex topics in accessible language, the session strengthened public understanding and reinforced trust in radiation-based healthcare.
The celebration also featured the “My Physics, My Impact” social media initiative, which encouraged creative storytelling about the profession. The competition winner, Muhammad Hafiz Bin Hanafi from Universiti Putra Malaysia, demonstrated how digital platforms can effectively promote awareness of medical physics and engage younger audiences.
IDMP 2025 in Malaysia therefore served as both a celebration and a forward-looking reflection on the profession. The theme strongly mirrors Malaysia’s trajectory toward technological advancement, strengthened regulatory frameworks, digital transformation, and growing scientific visibility. As emerging technologies continue to reshape healthcare, Malaysian medical physicists remain central to ensuring that innovation is implemented responsibly and safely.
MAMP reaffirms its commitment to working closely with AFOMP and IOMP in advancing professional standards, education, and regional collaboration, ensuring that the next decade of medical physics in Malaysia and across Asia-Oceania is defined by scientific excellence, technological leadership, and unwavering dedication to patient safety.