THE MALAYSIAN AIDS FOUNDATION
About Us
The Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF) was formed in 1993 and fully incorporated in 2003 under the Trustees Incorporation Act (1952) to carry out the following objectives: Prevent the spread of HIV in Malaysia; Provide education on matters pertaining to HIV/AIDS to the family and friends of people living with HIV, the general public and the authorities at the national and local level in Malaysia; Render support to People Living with HIV; Protect the human rights of people in Malaysia who may suffer discrimination due to their HIV status; and Provide financial assistance or such other form of support to bodies, organisations and institutions, including the Malaysian AIDS Council, in carrying out the activities and services described above.
OBJECTIVES
TIMELINES
1986
The first case of HIV infection in Malaysia was first recorded in 1986. Right from the onset of the epidemic, the Malaysian Government was fast to recognise the threat of HIV to public healthcare as well as its negative impact on the social fabric of Malaysian society.1992
Recognising that the epidemic was concentrated among hard-to-reach segments of the society, the government quickly mobilised civil societies by establishing the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) in 1992, which started as a coalition of just 6 grassroot NGOs working on HIV/AIDS initiatives.1993
In 1993, the Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF), the dedicated fundraising arm for AIDS, was established by MAC to help bridge the gap in funding for AIDS programmes by the government and provide response to the unravelling AIDS crisis at that time.1996
MAF launched the Paediatric AIDS Fund (PAF) to aid children living with or affected by HIV.1998
The Medicine Assistance Scheme was launched by MAF. The programme was later rebranded as the Positive, Audacious Living (PAL) Scheme in 2011 to reflect the growing optimism and advancement made in the field of HIV medicine, where the newer generation of Antiretroviral (ARV) medicine were able to return PLHIV to normal health and allow them to lead healthy, productive lives. MAF continues to run the programme until today due to the high financial burden for treatment faced by PLHIV in need of second-line medication with Yayasan Sime Darby emerging as the programme’s principal partner since 2015.2003
MAF was formally incorporated under the Trustees (Incorporation) Act 1952 on May 13, 2003.2008
The Red Ribbon Celebrity Supporters programme was launched. This comprises a group of diverse local celebrities joining forces in pledging their voluntary support to champion the cause against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.2014
MAF today, as a legally-recognised tax exemptible non-profit organisation, works closely with corporate organisations and institutional funders – both locally and internationally – to raise funds for the 47 Partner Organisations of MAC as well as providing direct assistance to People Living with HIV in Malaysia.2017
Teratak Kasih Tok Nan was launched. It serves as a safe space for HIV-impacted people and families in the local community to access HIV-related health, social and welfare services in Sarawak.2018
SAGA Health Access Programme (SHAPE) was introduced to provide financial assistance to underprivileged patients from Sabah's rural areas. The programme awards cash incentive to qualified beneficiaries for every hospital appointment that they attend in Sandakan.2019
The MyLady Assistance Scheme was launched on 17th April 2019 with support from the programme partner, Berjaya Corporation Berhad, to improve the lives of women living with HIV.2020
The COVID-19 doesn’t stop MAF from providing assistance to the community affected by the pandemic. The Treatment, Care and Support programmes continue to run as usual, thanks to the commitment and support of many of MAF partners.
