Brief Biography of Kai-Lit Phua
I also studied Public Administration at the Dept of Political Science (U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and
Public Policy Analysis (and mainstream neoclassical economics) at the then
School of Public and Urban Policy (U of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia).
Former Vice-President,Malaysian Social Science Association
Persatuan Sains Sosial Malaysia/
Malaysian Social Science Association
Former President, MUMASA (Monash University Malaysia Academic Staff Association), 2011 and 2012
E-mail address: phuakl@hotmail.com
Dr Phua has worked as Programmer/Analyst and
Research Statistician VI for the Maryland
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (USA) and
as Assistant Manager, Managed Healthcare Department
with a leading Singaporean insurance company with ties to
the NTUC (National Trades Union Congress of Singapore).
While an undergraduate student, he worked part-time as a
microbiology lab technician. Dr Phua has also taught
medical sociology, biostatistics, epidemiology
and public health at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences
of Monash University Malaysia. Prior to this,
he taught community medicine (medical sociology, statistics, public health)
at the International Medical University in Kuala Lumpur and
sociology, political science and public health in Klang and Melaka.
Dr Phua is a member of the Editorial Board for the journal Infectious Diseases: Research and Treatment.
First, they claimed that the wastes are "low level radiation". Now they claim that the wastes have zero radiation!
The Dose-Response Relationship i.e. the greater the intensity of exposure to radiation, and/or the longer the exposure,
the more negative the impact on health. X-rays are low level radiation.
Do you think it is wise to be exposed to unnecessary x-rays?
Phua Kai Lit (October 2018)
Introduction to Social Democracy
Other Books
1. FREE BOOK (free download in pdf format, written as a public service):
K.L. Phua
"After 50 Years of Independence: What We All Can Do For a Better Malaysia"
Articles
1. M.H. Fox, K.L. Phua and J.P. Weiner "Effects of Medicaid
Payment Levels On Access to Obstetrical Care"
Health Affairs 11(4):150-161 (Winter 1992)
2. M.H. Fox and K.L. Phua "Using Medicaid Claims Data to
Evaluate a Large Physician Fee Increase"
Health Services Research 29(3):315-340 (August 1994)
3. M.H. Fox and K.L. Phua "Do Increases in Payments for
Deliveries Also Increase Prenatal Care for Medicaid
Mothers?"
Public Health Reports 110(3):319-326 (May-June 1995)
4. K.L. Phua "HMOs and Managed Care in Malaysia"
Buletin Kesihatan Masyarakat Isu Khas 2000:167-175
5. K.L. Phua "Corporatization and Privatization of Public Services:
Origins and Rise of a Controversial Concept"
Akademika 58:45-57 (Jan 2001)
6. K.L. Phua "Borrowing from the Managed Care Toolkit to Increase Efficiency
in Public Hospitals"
Buletin Kesihatan Masyarakat Isu Khas 2001:196-202
7. K.L. Phua "Globalisation and Public Health: Economic Aspects"
Jurnal Kesihatan Masyarakat Isu Khas 2002:27-33
8. K.L. Phua "Commercial Health Insurance Plans in Malaysia"
Malaysian J of Public Health Medicine, Vol. 2(2):43-46 2002
9. C.L. Teng et al. "Antibiotic Prescription in Klinik Kesihatan Seremban"
Medical J of Malaysia, Vol. 57(Supp/D):FP3-5 2002
10. K.B. Chua et al. "Seroprevalence of Malassezia furfur in an Urban Population in Malaysia"
Malaysian J of Pathology, Vol. 25(1):49-56 2003
11. P.C.Y. Chen and K.L. Phua "Equity in Health Care in Developing Countries"
Jurnal Kesihatan Masyarakat, Jilid 9:1-11 2003
12. Z.W. Abas, N. Shamsuddin and K.L. Phua "How Prepared are Malaysian Nurses
for Online Distance Learning?"
Proceedings of the Informing Science + Information Technology Joint Conference,
Pori, Finland, 24-27 June 2003
13. K.L. Phua "The Human Genome Project: What are the Implications for Ethics
and Social Equity?"
Critical Public Health, Vol. 14(2):191-200 2004
14. C.L. Teng et al. "General and URTI-Specific Antibiotic Prescription Rates
in a Malaysian Primary Care Setting"
International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, 24:496-501 2004
15. K.L. Phua "An Exploratory Study of Noteworthy Online Versions of
Anglo-American Intellectual Journals of Opinion"
Akademika 64:143-148 (Jan 2004)
16. K.L. Phua "World Trade Organization (WTO) Negotiations: Possible Effects
on Health and Health Services in Malaysia"
Jurnal Kesihatan Masyarakat, Jilid 10:7-13 2004
17. K.L. Phua and L.K. Lee "Meeting the Challenge of Epidemic
Disease Outbreaks: An Agenda for Research"
Journal of Public Health Policy, Vol. 26(1):122-132 2005
18. Noor Hidayah Ishak et al. "Health-Related Outcomes of Tsunami Victims Residing in the Coastal Areas of the Northeast District of Penang, Malaysia"
Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, Vol. 5(2):15-18) 2005
19. K.L. Phua "A Model for Lessening the Negative Impact of
Natural Disasters and Infectious Disease Outbreaks"
Journal of Emergency Management, Vol. 4(5):69-74 2006
20. K.L. Phua "The Japanese Experience with Population Ageing and
the Financing of Social Security, Health and Other Social Services
for the Elderly: Lessons for Other Nations"
Asian Journal of Social Science, Vol. 34(4):618-629 2006
21. C.L. Teng et al. "Modifying Antibiotic Prescribing: The Effectiveness of
Academic Detailing Plus Information Leaflet in a Malaysian Primary Care
Setting" Medical Journal of Malaysia, Vol. 61(3):323-331 2006
22. K.C. Leong et al. "The Use of Text Messaging to Improve Attendance in
Primary Care: A Randomised Controlled Trial"
Family Practice, Vol. 23(6):699-705 2006
23. S. Barraclough and K.L. Phua "Health Imperatives in Foreign Policy: The
Case of Malaysia"
Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Vol. 85(3):225-229 2007
24. K.L. Phua and F. Achike "Vioxx and Other Pharmaceutical Product
Withdrawals: Ethical Issues in
Ensuring the Integrity of Drug and Medical Device Research,
Development and Commercialisation"
Clinical Ethics, Vol. 2(3):155-162 2007
25. K.L. Phua "Greying Malaysians: Strategies for Promoting and Supporting
Healthy and Productive Ageing"
Jurnal Kesihatan Masyarakat, Vol. 13(1):16-21 2007
26. K.L. Phua "Cross-Border Medical Tourism: A Typology and Agenda for Research
in the South-East Asian Region"
ASEAN Journal on Hospitality and Tourism, Vol. 7(2): 169-177 2008
27. K.L. Phua "Post-Disaster Victimization: How Survivors of Disasters
Can Continue to Suffer After the Event is Over"
New Solutions, Vol. 18(2):221-231 2008
28. K.L. Phua and S. Barraclough "Towards a Green Public Health"
Environmental Health, Vol. 9(1&2):80-85 2009
29. K.L. Phua "Fighting the Battle Against Infectious Diseases: Contributions
of Selected Social Science Disciplines"
Infectious Diseases: Research and Treatment, Vol. 2:5-9 2009
30. K.L. Phua "Does the Granting of Legal Privileges as an Indigenous People Help
to Reduce Health Disparities? Evidence from New Zealand and Malaysia"
Pacific Health Dialog, Vol. 15(2):117-127 2009
31. K.L. Phua "The Nipah Virus Outbreak in Malaysia and its Aftermath"
Journal of Emergency Management, Vol. 8(1):77-80 2010
32. K.L. Phua "Can We Learn From History? Policy Responses and Strategies to Meet
Health Care Needs in Times of Severe Economic Crisis"
The Open Public Health Journal, Vol. 4:1-5 2011
33. K.L. Phua and S. Barraclough "A Strange Thing Happened on the Way to the Market:
Privatization in Malaysia and its Effects on the Healthcare System"
Research in the Sociology of Health Care, Vol. 29:229-242 2011
34. K.L. Phua and S. Saraswati "Lynas Corporation's Rare Earth Extraction Plant in Gebeng, Malaysia:
B.A. (cum laude) Public Health & Population Studies (Rochester)
Minor in Biology
M.A., Ph.D.Sociology (Medical Sociology) (Johns Hopkins)
FLMI (Fellow, Life Management Institute)
Dr Phua holds professional qualifications from the insurance industry (FLMI)
and serves as an advisor on health policy matters to a major political party in Malaysia.
He served for many years in the past as one of
the main lecturers for the Ministry of Health of Malaysia's
staff course "Introduction to Health Economics and Healthcare Financing". 
Phua giving a presentation at the
East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii (June 2006)
"I hope you find my website helpful as well as interesting!"
Lynas rare earth extraction plant = operating (and polluting) in the Kuantan area since 2013
Say "NO!" to this attempt by a corporate polluter to turn Malaysia into a
PERMANENT dump site for toxic and radioactive wastes!
Source: Loyar Buruk website
Save Malaysia, Stop Lynas website
Video on the experience of Baotou, China
with the environmental devastation and harm to public health caused by rare earth metals production
Video on health problems linked to the
use of cyanide compounds at the gold mine in Bukit Koman, Raub, Malaysia
Latest
threat to the health of the people of the Kuantan - bauxite mining and contamination of water by mercury
!
*******************************
Lynas - shut it down and kick them out!
Second, lots of harmful chemicals are also used by Lynas in REE (rare earth elements) extraction. These will get into
Sungai Balok and then into the South China Sea.
Third, why are Australia's requirements much more stringent than Malaysia's when it comes to the handling of the waste?
This is why Lynas operates in Malaysia rather than in Australia.
Fourth, Lynas has not built a PDF (Permanent Disposal Facility) for the waste. Neither has it come up with a
decommissioning plan for the factory. Meanwhile, the wastes are piling up on-site.
In essence, the Lynas project is one where we allow foreigners to reap the financial benefits (it is tax-free
for 12 years), while we stupidly allow our country to be used as a dumpsite for the wastes produced.
*********************************************
"SHAME on all the cowardly bureaucrats who succumbed to pressure
from greedy and socially irresponsible politicians by approving the
Lynas rare earth extraction plant project, and allowing illegal bauxite mining to take place.
YOU are all morally responsible for the damage
to the health and welfare of the hundreds of
thousands of innocent people that will result from your
TOTAL LACK OF SPINE and your GREED and SOCIAL IRRESPONSIBILITY!"
Phua Kai Lit (February 1, 2012 and February 1, 2016)
"The most important reasons for the uniquely high costs of the US health system are its
commercialization and the effects of business incentives on the provision of care.
The US has the only health system in the developed world that is so much owned by investors
and in which medical care has become a commodity in trade rather than a right." Arnold Relman (2010)
"Gradually, it seemed like every single public enterprise was being privatized. We have seen
privatization or proposed privatization of water, of public utilities, of healthcare,
education, toll roads, public transport and even of the public waste disposal system. These are privatized
to cronies of the ruling groups without any transparency and accountability.
It was said that running many of these public-service orientated departments
like proper businesses would improve efficiency via competition, and ultimately
service quality and even pricing. But all that is only theory, preached from the pulpit
of capitalist and free-market ideology.In reality and practice, Malaysia and
Penang’s experiment and experience with privatization has only brought inflated pricing
for public services, from water bills to bus fares as lucrative contracts were
doled out to inefficient cronies of the entrenched ruling elites." Prof P. Ramasamy (2011)
"The real challenge of health policy is how to use resources to provide medical and
social services that meet the legitimate wants of citizens at costs
citizens are prepared to pay." Theodore Marmor and Claus Wendt (2012)
"The social democratic Welfare State should be like a hunter-gatherer band (writ large) i.e.
has popularly elected leaders, protects and looks after its most vulnerable members
(the young, the aged, the sick, the disabled), egalitarian relationships between men and women,
places emphasis on solidarity and co-operation for the good of all." Phua Kai Lit
Social Democracy and the Economy
History of Social Democracy
Social Democracy and Progressive Health Policy
**********************************************
PHUA'S PUBLICATIONS
Books
1. Mohd. Hazim Shah, Jomo K.S. and K.L. Phua eds.
"New Perspectives in Malaysian Studies"
(Kuala Lumpur: PSSM 2002)
2. Mohd. Hazim Shah and K.L. Phua eds.
"Public Policy, Culture and the Impact of Globalisation in Malaysia"
(Kuala Lumpur: PSSM 2004)
3. K.L. Phua and K.S. Soo
"What's Ahead for Malaysia? Current Challenges and Emerging Trends"
(Subang Jaya: Pelanduk Publications 2004)
4. K.C. Wong and K.L. Phua
"Statistics Made Simple
for Healthcare and Social Science Professionals and Students"
(Serdang: UPM Press 2006)
To view this book
5. K.L. Phua ed.
"Malaysia: Public Policy and Marginalised Groups"
(Kuala Lumpur: PSSM 2007)
6. K.L. Phua and Y.L. Wong
"Medical Sociology:Key Concepts and Issues"
(Singapore: Cengage Learning 2008)
7. K.F. Quek and K.L. Phua
How to Use Statistical Tests to Analyse and Interprete Your Data: A Step-by-Step Approach for Non-Statisticians"
(Lulu, on-line publisher) (Available in hardcopy format & e-book format)
8. K.L. Phua and K.H. Phua
"Health Economics: An Introduction for Biomedical and Other Health Professionals"
(Penang: USM Press 2009)(A short introduction to health economics
for health professionals with little background in economics)
9. K.L. Phua
"Short Notes on Progressive Health Economics, 2016"
(FREE BOOK for you to download, written as a public service)
10. K.L. Phua
"Introduction to Progressive
Political Science, 2017 Second Edition" (FREE BOOK for you to download and distribute, written as a public service)
11. K.L. Phua and Y.L. Wong
"Medical Sociology:Key Concepts and Issues" (second edition)
(Singapore: Cengage Learning 2017)
12. K.L. Phua
"Leading Issues in Health Policy, 2017"(FREE BOOK for you to download and distribute, written as a public service)
13. K.L. Phua
Basic Sociology for Ordinary Citizens, 2017(FREE BOOK for you to download and distribute, written as a public service)
Public Health
Health Care Financing
Statistics
Public Policy
Malaysiana
Book Covers
A Case Report on the Ongoing Saga of People Power versus State-Backed Corporate Power"
Journal of Environmental Engineering and Ecological Science, Vol. 1:1-5 2012
35. K.L. Phua "Ethical Dilemmas in Protecting Individual Rights Versus Public Protection
in the Case of Infectious Diseases"
Infectious Diseases: Research and Treatment, Vol. 6:1-5 2013
36. K.L. Phua and J.W. Hue "Ethical Dilemmas Related to Predictions and Warnings of Impending Natural Disaster"
American Journal of Disaster Medicine, Vol. 8(4):243-252 2013
37. K.L. Phua "Harm to the Health of the Public Arising from Aggressive Marketing
and Sales of Health-Related Products and Services"
Research in the Sociology of Health Care, Vol. 32:199-212 2014
38. K.L. Phua, J.C. Chong, R. Elangovan, Y.X. Liew, H.M. Ng, Y.W. Seow "Public and Private Hospitals in
Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia: How Do They Fare in Terms of Accessibility for the Physically Disabled?"
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, Vol. 19(1):43-50 2014
39. K.L. Phua, S.W.H. Ling and K.H. Phua "Public-Private Partnerships in Health in Malaysia: Lessons for Policy
Implementation" International Journal of Public Administration, Vol. 37(8):506-513 2014
40. K.L. Phua "Measuring Health System Performance: A Critique, with Proposals for Improving on the
WHO "Building Blocks Framework" The Open Public Health Journal, Vol. 7:12-15 2014
41. K.L. Phua and J.W. Hue "The Impact of Prolonged Economic Crises and Economic Downturns on the
Nursing Profession" Nursing Economics, Vol. 33(4): 227-232 2015
42. K.L. Phua "The Health of Malaysia's "Orang Asli" Peoples: A Review of the Scientific Evidence
on Nutritional Outcome, Parasite Infestations, and Discussion on Implications for Clinical Practice"
Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, Vol. 15(1): 83-90 2015
43. K.L. Phua ""Redesigning healthcare systems to meet the health challenges associated with
climate change in the 21st century" Journal of Emergency Management, Vol.13(3): 255-264 2015
44. K.L. Phua "Meeting the Challenge of Ebola Virus Disease in a Holistic Manner by Taking into Account
Socioeconomic and Cultural Factors: The Experience of West Africa"
Infectious Diseases: Research and Treatment, Vol. 8:39-44 2015
45. J.M.Y. Loo and K.L. Phua "Gambling Participation and Policies in Malaysia"
Asian J of Gambling Issues and Public Health, Vol. 6:3 2016
46. K.L. Phua and S. Barraclough "Countering Opposition, Generating Doubt and Mobilizing Support in Rare Earth
Metals-Related Environmental Conflict in Malaysia"
J of Political Ecology, Vol. 23:296-307 2016
47. K.L. Phua "The Promotion of Cross-Border Medical Tourism in Developing Countries: Economic Growth at the
Expense of Healthcare System Efficiency and Cost Containment?
The Open Public Health Journal, Vol. 9:98-105 2016
48. K.L. Phua "Rare Earth Plant in Malaysia: Governance, Green Politics and Geopolitics"
Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 5(3):443-462 2016
Book Chapter
1. K.L. Phua "Globalisation: Possible Effects on Health and the Health Sector in
Malaysia". In Mohd. Hazim Shah and K.L. Phua eds.
"Public Policy, Culture and the Impact of Globalisation in Malaysia"
(Kuala Lumpur: PSSM 2004)
2. K.L. Phua "The Organisation and Financing of Social Security, Health and Other
Social Services for the Elderly in Japan: Lessons for Malaysia" in
"Power, Purpose, Process, and Practice in Asia: The Work of the 2003/2004
API Fellows" (Tokyo: Nippon Foundation 2006) pp. 214 - 222
3. K.L. Phua "Rising Health Care Costs:
The Contradictory Responses of the Malaysian State".
In Chee Heng Leng and Simon Barraclough eds.
"Healthcare in Malaysia"
(London: Routledge 2007) pp. 59 - 71
4. S. Barraclough and K.L. Phua "Health Care Policy Change in
Malaysia: An Uncertain and Contested Agenda"
In K.L. Phua ed.
"Malaysia: Public Policy and Marginalised Groups"
(Kuala Lumpur: PSSM 2007) pp. 15-30
5. S. Barraclough and K.L. Phua "Malaysia: The Consumer Voice in the
Policy Process" In: H. Lofgren, E. de Leeuw and M. Leahy eds.
"Democratizing Health: Consumer Groups in the Policy Process".
(Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar 2011) pp. 161 - 176
6. K.L. Phua "Disaster Management: The Socioeconomic Dimension"
In: R. Arora and P. Arora eds. "Disaster Management: Medical Preparedness, Response and
Homeland Security" (Wallingford, UK: CABI 2013) pp. 604 - 612
7. K.H. Phua and K.L. Phua "Impact of Economic Crises on Health: Past Evidence and
Policy Implications for Asia" In: J. Yeung and M.T. Yap eds. "Economic Stress, Human Capital, and
Families in Asia: Policy and Research Challenges" (New York: Springer 2013) pp. 221 - 239
Letters to the Editor
1. M.H. Fox and K.L. Phua "Pediatricians Participating in
Medicaid" J. of the American Med Assoc 268(23):3314
(Dec 16, 1992)
2. K.L. Phua "On Non-Diseases and Medicalisation"
British Medical Journal 2002(324)
(April 16, 2002)
3. K.L. Phua "Some Thoughts on the Indian Ocean Tsunami (Tidal Waves) of Late December 2004"
Journal of Public Health Policy 2005
4. K.L. Phua "The Brody-Light 'Inverse Benefit Law': Some Missing Elements"
American Journal of Public Health (Feb 22, 2011)
Book Reviews
1. K.L. Phua "The Chinese in Malaysia"
Akademika 58:121-123 (Jan 2001)
2. K.L. Phua "Lee Kuan Yew: The Beliefs Behind the Man"
New Political Science 23(3):463-464 (Sept 2001)
3. K.L. Phua "Out in the Midday Sun: The British in Malaya 1880-1960"
Asian Journal of Social Science 30(1):181-183 (March 2002)
4. K.L. Phua "The Handbook of Inequality and Socioeconomic Position"
Radical Statistics 96:125-126 2008
5. K.L. Phua "Disasters Without Borders" Human Rights Review 15: 499-500 (October 2014)
6. K.L. Phua "Global Health Governance in International Relations" Human Rights Review 16: 65-68 (March 2015)
Other Articles
1. K.L. Phua "Worldbeat Music: A Selective Survey and Discussion of Associated Socioeconomic Issues"
Social Science Paper Publisher, Vol. 5, Issue 2 December 2002
2. K.L. Phua "Changing Family Dynamics in Malaysia and Singapore"
Social Science Paper Publisher, Vol. 4, Issue 2 October 2001
3. P.C.Y. Chen, L.K. Lee and K.L. Phua "Case Study of Malaysia"
Background Paper (unpublished paper) prepared for the
World Bank's project on public health systems
as organized by M. Das Gupta and P. Khaleghian, 2003
4. K.L. Phua "How to Make the Learning of Statistics Interesting, Fun and Personally Relevant"
Radical Statistics, 95:4-9 2007
5. K.L.Phua Kuantan The Ant Daily, July 4 2015
Unrefereed Articles
1. K.L. Phua "Who Says Organization Theory is Boring?"
CEO Refresher, August 2001
2. K.L. Phua "Singapore's Manager-Politicians"
CEO Refresher, September 2001
3. K.L. Phua "Singapore's Manager-Politicians (Part Two):The
Negative Aspects"
CEO Refresher, November 2001
4a. K.L. Phua "Needed: New Skills for Professional Success in the
Globalized 21st Century"
CEO Refresher, April 2002
4b. Above article reprinted in
Governance World Watch, Issue 39, April 2002, pp. 9-11
UNPAN (United Nations Online Network
in Public Administration and Finance), UN Dept. of Economic and
Social Affairs
4c. Above article reprinted in Accounting World, June 2002
(An official publication of the Inst of Chartered Financial
Analysts of India (ICFAI)
5. K.L. Phua "Mission Impossible?"
Social Insight 7:29-30 (Fall 2002)
6. K.L. Phua "A Refresher on Employee Health Benefits"
CEO Refresher, September 2002
7. K.L. Phua "What Makes a Person Powerful in an Organization?"
CEO Refresher, June 2003
8. K.L. Phua The Impact of Environmental Deterioration on Health
Article written for the website of the Asian Public Intellectuals
Fellows(Malaysian Fellows)
9. K.L. Phua "Tracking the Fallout of the Nipah Virus Outbreak"
The Asian Public Intellectuals 18:13 (January 2009)
10. K.L. Phua Should Malaysia Bear the Burden of Australian Radioactive Waste?
The Conversation (24 September 2012)
PRESENTATIONS
1. Panelist, "Healthcare in Transition" Roundtable
Second International Malaysian Studies Conference,
University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 2-4 August, 1999
2. "HMOs and Managed Care in Malaysia: What Can We Anticipate from the
Experience of Singapore and the United States?"
(Paper presented at the Sixth National Public Health
Colloquium, Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
Cheras, 5-6 Oct, 1999)
3. "Borrowing from the Managed Care "Toolkit" to Increase
Efficiency in Public Hospitals"
(Paper presented at the Seventh National Public Health
Colloquium, Bangi, 2-3 Oct, 2000)
4. "Regulating Malaysian Managed Care Organisations (MCOs) to Protect
the Public Interest" (with Dr Jagmohni Kaur)
(Poster presented at the Seventh National Public Health
Colloquium, Bangi, 2-3 Oct, 2000)
5. "Broadening the Concept of Globalisation: Medicine and Public Health in
Malaysia and Other Developing Countries"
(Paper presented at the Third International Malaysian Studies
Conference, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia,
Bangi, 6-8 August, 2001)
6. "Globalisation and Public Health: Economic Aspects"
(Paper presented at the Eight National Public Health
Colloquium, Subang Jaya, 9-10 Oct, 2001)
7. "The Malaysian Healthcare System, Socioeconomic Changes and New
Business Opportunities"
(Invited paper presented at Malaysia Healthcare conference,
Kuala Lumpur, 25-26 June, 2002)
8. "Student Academic Misconduct"
(Poster presented at 10th Ottawa Conference on Medical Education,
Ottawa, 13-16 July, 2002)
9. "Information Needs of Primary Care Practitioners in Negri Sembilan" (with
Dr Teng Cheong Lieng et al)
(Paper presented at the 6th Family Medicine Specialist Conference,
Seremban, 26-29 August, 2002)
10. "Equity in Health Care in Developing Countries"
(Invited paper presented at the 9th National Public Health
Colloquium, Shah Alam, 24-25 Sept, 2002)
11. "Commercial Health Insurance Plans in Malaysia: A Critical Analysis"
(Paper presented at the 9th National Public Health
Colloquium, Shah Alam, 24-25 Sept, 2002)
12. "Antibiotic Prescription in Klinik Kesihatan Seremban" (with
Dr Teng Cheong Lieng et al)
(Paper presented at the 4th Ministry of Health-Academy of Medicine Malaysia
Scientific Meeting, Seremban, 10-12 October, 2002)
13. "The Private Sector and Malaysia's Health System"
(Paper presented at the IMU Health Policy Forum, Bukit Jalil,
Kuala Lumpur, 8 March, 2003)
14. "Measuring Antibiotic Prescription Rate: Inaccuracy of Prospective
Case Recording" (with Dr Teng Cheong Lieng et al)
(Paper presented at the 3rd ASEAN Conference in Primary Health Care,
Ipoh, 14-16 March, 2003)
15. "How Prepared are Malaysian Nurses for Online Distance Learning?"
(with Zoraini Wati Abbas and Nafsiah Shamsuddin
(Paper presented at the Informing Science + Information Technology
Joint Conference, Pori, Finland, 24-27 June, 2003)
16. "Toward a Sociology of Disease Outbreaks and Other Sudden Health-Threatening Events in the Asia-Pacific Context"
(Paper presented at the international Symposium on Global
Challenges and Local Response, Singapore, 14-18 March, 2004)
17. "Paying Medical Bills in Malaysia: Is Private Health Insurance the Answer?"
(Invited paper presented at the
Regional Seminar on Healthcare Financing, Penang,
15 April - 16 April, 2004)
18. "Health Care Policy Change in Malaysia"
(with Simon Barraclough)
(Paper presented at the Regional Conference on Comparative
Health Policy and Reforms in East Asia,
Singapore, 6 - 8 September, 2004)
19. "Rising Health Care Costs? An Analysis of the Challenge and the
Contradictory Responses of the Malaysian State"
(Paper presented at the Workshop on
Healthcare in Malaysia, Singapore, 9 - 11 September, 2004)
20. "Presentation of Findings From Research Conducted in Japan as an API Fellow"
(Paper presented at the API Workshop, Fukuoka,
Japan, 30 November - 5 December, 2004)
21. "Modifying Antibiotic Prescribing: The Effectiveness of Academic
Detailing Plus Information Leaflet in the Malaysian
Primary Care Setting"
(with Teng Cheong Lieng et al)
(Paper presented at 39th Singapore-Malaysia Medical
Congress, Singapore, 30 June - 3 July, 2005)
22. "Population Ageing and the Organisation and Financing of
Social Security, Health and Other Social Services for the
Elderly in Japan: Lessons for Malaysia"
(Paper presented at the Eleventh National Public Health
Colloquium, Kuala Lumpur, 21 September - 22 September, 2005)
23. "Malaysian Government Spending on Health: Too High and Getting
Out of Control?"
(Workshop presentation at the 37th Summer Seminar on Population,
East-West Center, Honolulu,Hawaii, USA 30 May - 29 June, 2006)
24. "Dynamics of Health and Socioeconomic Status of New Zealand Maori and the
Malaysian Orang Asli: Does Being Granted Legal Privileges as an
Indigenous People Make Any Difference?"
(Paper presented at the New Zealand Public Health Association
2007 Conference, Auckland, New Zealand 4 July - 6 July, 2007)
25. "Cross-Border Medical Tourism: A Typology and Implications for the
Public and Private Medical Care Sectors in the South-East Asian Region"
(Paper presented at the 8th Asia-Pacific Sociological Association
Conference, Penang 19-21 November, 2007)
26. "Basics of Health Care Financing" and "Provider Payment Systems"
(Invited speaker, Health Economics and Health Care Financing course
of the Ministry of Health, Johor Bahru, 2-4 March, 2009)
27. "Basics of Health Care Financing" and "Provider Payment Systems"
(Invited speaker, Intensive Workshop on Health
Systems in Transition, Kuala Lumpur 29-30 April, 2009)
28. "Can We Learn From History? Policy Responses and Strategies to Meet Health Care
Needs in Times of Severe Economic Crisis"
(Poster presented at the 15th International Association for
Health Policy in Europe Conference, Coventry, UK, 17-20 June, 2009)
29. Lectures on health care financing, payment systems and social insurance
(Invited speaker, Introduction to Health Economics course
of the Ministry of Health, Penang, 9-13 August, 2009)
30. "Healthcare Services in Malaysia: Are There Differences in Practice, Performance and
Cost Between Public and Private Hospitals?"
(Invited discussant, Workshop at the Faculty of Economics and Administration,
University of Malaya, 29-30 June 2010)
31. "A Strange Thing Happened on the Way to the Market: A Quarter Century of Pursuit of
Privatization in Malaysia and its Effects on the Healthcare System"
(Paper presented at the 17th International Sociological Association
World Congress of Sociology, Gothenburg, Sweden, 11-17 July 2010)
32. Series of lectures on health care financing, provider payment systems,
social insurance, health care cost containment etc
(Invited speaker, Introduction to Health Economics course
of the Ministry of Health, Shah Alam, 19-23 July, 2010)
33. Series of lectures on health care financing, provider payment systems,
social insurance, health care cost containment etc
(Invited speaker, Introduction to Health Economics course
of the Ministry of Health, Port Dickson, 11-15 July, 2011)
34. "Reforming Health Systems Through Marketisation: Comparative Analysis of Effects of
Three Decades of Marketisation in England and Malaysia"
(Paper presented at the International Association of Health Policy in
Europe conference, Ankara, Turkey, 29 Sept to 2 Oct, 2011)
35. Panelist, "Universal Health Care: Can We Guarantee Health for All?"
Monash University, Bandar Sunway, 3-4 October, 2011
36. "Cross-Border Medical Tourism: Implications for Health Care"
(Invited speaker, 3rd International Conference on Rural Medicine,
Kota Kinabalu, 22-24 November, 2011)
37. "The Growth of Cross-Border Medical Tourism: Investigating Possible
Impacts on the Health Care Systems of Host (Destination) Countries"
(Invited speaker, workshop on "Transnational Mobility and Health Systems
in Transition", University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 28 February, 2012)
38. "Rare Earth Extraction Plant Being Built in Gebeng, Malaysia: A Major Southeast Asian
Environmental and Public Health Disaster in the Making?"
(Paper presented at the 9th International Conference on Environmental
and Public Health Management, Bangkok, Thailand, 2-4 October, 2012)
39. "Social Democratic Reforms in Addressing Key Health Issues"
(Invited discussant, SOCDEM Asia Conference on Universal Health Care,
Kuala Lumpur, 28-29 October, 2012)
40. Series of lectures on health care financing, provider payment systems,
social insurance, health care cost containment etc
(Invited speaker, Introduction to Health Economics course
of the Ministry of Health, Perak, 20 November, 2012)
41. "Rare Earth Plant in Malaysia: Governance, Green Politics and Geopolitics"
(Invited speaker, workshop on "Global Powers and Local Resources in Southeast Asia:
Impacts of International Forces on Local Environment and Society", Kyoto University,
Kyoto, Japan, 16-17 January 2013)
42. "Rare Earth Plant in Malaysia: Profits, Politics and Protection of the Environment and Public Health"
(Monash University, Sunway Campus, Malaysia, 4 February 2013)
43. "Challenges to Civil Society Participation in Health Policy in Malaysia"
(with S. Barraclough and S. Chong)
(Presented at the conference on "Health Systems in Asia: Equity, Governance & Social Impact",
National University of Singapore, Singapore, 13-16 December 2013)
44. "Public-Private Integration of Health Services in Malaysia" (with K.H. Phua)
(Presented at the conference on "Health Systems in Asia: Equity, Governance & Social Impact",
National University of Singapore, Singapore, 13-16 December 2013)
45. Series of lectures on health care financing, provider payment systems,
social insurance, health care cost containment etc
(Invited speaker, Introduction to Health Economics course
of the Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur, 15 October, 2014)
46. Health policy briefing to Members of Parliament (Parliament of Malaysia, 25 May, 2015)
47. Series of lectures on health care financing, provider payment systems,
social insurance, health care cost containment etc
(Invited speaker, Introduction to Health Economics course
of the Ministry of Health, Port Dickson, 7-8 September, 2015)
48. Series of lectures on health care financing, provider payment systems,
social insurance, health care cost containment etc
(Invited speaker, Introduction to Health Economics course
of the Ministry of Health, Putrajaya, 5 October, 2016)
49. Series of lectures on health care financing, provider payment systems,
social insurance, health care cost containment etc
(Invited speaker, Introduction to Health Economics course
of the Ministry of Health, Melaka, 18 April, 2017)
50. Invited Panelist "Workshop on Ageing and Demographic Change in Asia"
ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, 26-28 February, 2018
51. Series of lectures on health care financing, provider payment systems,
social insurance, health care cost containment etc
(Invited speaker, Introduction to Health Economics course
of the Ministry of Health, Kuala Lumpur, 14 November, 2018)
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS RECEIVED
1. University of Rochester Genesee Scholarship
2. University of Illinois Graduate Fellowship
3. University of Pennsylvania Samuel S. Fels Fellowship
4. Johns Hopkins University Graduate Fellowship
5. Gold Award, National Quality Control Circle Convention,
National Productivity Board, Singapore July 1995
6. Nippon Foundation "Asian Public Intellectual"
Senior Fellowship 2003 (field research in Japan
from 1 July to 27 Sept, 2003)
7. Fellow, Salzburg Seminar
Salzburg, Austria September 2004
8. Freeman Foundation Fellowship, Salzburg Seminar
Salzburg, Austria June 2005
9. Nippon Foundation "Follow Up Grant"
November 2006
10. Listed in Marquis Who's Who in the World
11. Monash University Overseas Study Programme (OSP),
September 1 to November 30, 2010 (in the United Kingdom)
12. Nippon Foundation Fellowship, Salzburg Global Seminar,
Salzburg, Austria November 2010
COURSES ATTENDED/ATTENDING
1. World Bank "Flagship Course on Health Sector Reform and
Sustainable Financing"
Melaka, 27 March - 8 April, 2000
2. Salzburg Seminar "Session on Multicultural Health"
Salzburg, Austria 19 September - 26 September, 2004
3. Eighth Symposium of the Freeman Foundation (invited participant)
Salzburg, Austria 13 June - 18 June, 2005
4. SEAMEO-SPAFA and ASEAN Foundation Workshop on
"Managing the Integration of Culture into Development Programmes"
Manila, Philippines 24 October - 28 October, 2005
5. East-West Center, University of Hawaii
37th Summer Seminar on Population
"Communicating with Policymakers on Population and Health"
Honolulu,Hawaii, USA 30 May - 29 June, 2006
6. Salzburg Global Seminar "Session on Reforming Healthcare:
Maintaining Social Solidarity and Quality in the Face of
Economic, Health and Social Challenges"
Salzburg, Austria 7 November - 12 November, 2010
(Under sponsorship as a Nippon Foundation fellow)
MANUSCRIPT REVIEWER FOR
1. Bulletin of the World Health Organization
2. Medical Journal of Malaysia
3. Malaysian Family Physician
4. Asian Journal of Social Science (Singapore)
5. American Journal of Managed Care (USA)
6. Journal of Injury and Violence Research (Iran)
7. Journal of Public Health Policy (USA)
8. International Journal of Peace and Development Studies
9. Journal of Research in Peace, Gender and Development
10. Singapore Economic Review (Singapore)
11. Education Research Journal
12. Infectious Diseases: Research and Treatment
13. BMC Public Health
14. Educational Research
15. International Journal of Mental Health Systems
16. International Journal of Public Administration
17. American Journal of Pharmacy Benefits (USA)
18. Webmed Central Plus
19. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction
20. Journal of Healthcare Communications
21. Health Services Insights
22. Health and Medical Economics
23. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences
24. Preventive Medicine (Netherlands)
25. EASTS : East Asian Science, Technology and Society
26. Kajian Malaysia (Malaysian Studies)
27. Environmental Science and Pollution Control
28. African Educational Research Journal
29. Journal of Medical Ethics
MEMBER OF EDITORIAL BOARD
1. Infectious Diseases: Research and Treatment
2. Journal of Medical Research and Practice
MEMBER OF ADVISORY BOARD
1. WebmedCentral Specialty (Public Health) Advisory Board
*****************************
ACADEMIC & RESEARCH INTERESTS
Disasters and public health
Infectious disease outbreaks
Evidence-based health policy
Healthcare financing
Public health ethics
The social sciences as applied to medicine and public health
Johns Hopkins University Crest
Click here to read Abstract of Dr Phua's PhD Dissertation
Click here to read article on Rising Health Care Costs
Click here to read my article on Health Policies for a Healthier Malaysia
Click here to read article on Policies on Ageing for Malaysia
Click here for some GREAT WEB SITES
Click here for my FUN PAGE
Click here for my EXPERIENCE OF LIVING IN JAPAN
"LEARNING TO THINK"
QUESTION: Is it better to be a pig satisfied or Socrates dissatisfied?
(From British utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham)
Click for Dr Phua's Reading List for Health, Knowledge and Society (Medical Sociology) Module, 2016
Click for Statistics for the Mathematically-Challenged :)
Click for Medical Sociology Part A
Click for Medical Sociology Part B
Click for Societal Factors and Health
Click for Non-Intentional Injuries
Click for Intentional Injuries
Click for BIOSTATISTICS MADE SIMPLE
Click for QUANTITATIVE METHODS FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Click for THE CHI-SQUARE TEST (Notes for Students)
Click for INTRO TO HEALTH STATISTICS
Click for Population and Health
Click for Migration (Population Movements) and Health
Click for Travel/Tourism and Health
Click for Ageing: Individual Ageing and Population Ageing
Click for Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases
Click for Environ. Hazards & Respiratory Diseases
Click for Critical Appraisal of Scientific Literature
Click for Culture, Health and Disease (introduction to medical anthropology)
Click for Selective: Caring Doctor and Long Term Illnesses
Click for Selective: Control of Epidemic Outbreaks (notes are available only for Dr Phua's lectures)
Click for Selective: Food, Nutrition and Health (notes are available only for Dr Phua's lectures)
Click for BPharm: Lecture notes on Relative Risk and Odds Ratio
Click for Financing of Health Care
Click for Book Review: Chinese in Malaysia
Click for Sociological Theory Made Simple
Click here to return to Main Page
