Suriaghandi Suppiah, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), has been conferred the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (D.S.P.N.), which carries the title Dato’. The honour was bestowed by Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Ramli bin Ngah Talib, Yang di-Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang, at Dewan Sri Pinang in conjunction with His Excellency’s 85th Birthday Celebration.
The conferment recognises Dato’ Suriaghandi’s contributions to nation-building across a career spanning nearly three decades in healthcare, sovereign investment, and institutional leadership. Prior to his appointment at MHTC in September 2025, he served in senior roles at Khazanah Nasional, KPJ Healthcare, and the Employees Provident Fund, and represented Malaysia in hockey at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Across these institutions, his work has consistently centred on strengthening organisations that carry national responsibility.
At his current helm of MHTC, Dato’ Suriaghandi has led a marked acceleration of Malaysia Healthcare’s international agenda. This includes the launch and execution of the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 (MYMT 2026) under the theme Healing Meets Hospitality, expanded market activations across ASEAN, the Middle East, and South Asia, deepened partnerships with financial institutions and government agencies, and a strengthened governance and data-driven decision-making culture within the organisation. These efforts have reinforced Malaysia’s standing as a preferred healthcare destination while raising the standards by which the industry measures itself.
Speaking after the investiture, Dato’ Suriaghandi said, “I receive this honour with deep gratitude to Tuan Yang Terutama and the State of Pulau Pinang. Recognition of this kind is never carried alone. It belongs to every institution that shaped me, and to the people across Malaysia Healthcare, our member hospitals, our partners in government, and the team at MHTC, who do the quiet, disciplined work on which a nation’s reputation is built. My response to this honour is a simple one: to keep earning it.”
The conferment comes as Malaysia Healthcare strengthens its global presence under MYMT 2026, with MHTC committed to sustaining momentum through the second half of the year and beyond.
