I recently took Mom for a follow-up at the Advanced Medical and Dental Institute AMDI USM, Kepala Batas, and finally had a chance to have a proper conversation with Mr. Leow Voon Meng.
Mr. Leow is a General Surgeon and Hepatobiliary Surgery Specialist. Every Friday, patients at AMDI USM begin queuing as early as 7:00 a.m. Even though appointments only start at 8:30 a.m., it gets very crowded. And Mr. Leow has never once been late to the hospital. He arrives early, too, and prepares before meeting his patients. He is not the type of doctor who reads reports and finds information only once the patient is seated for consultation.
He isn’t stationed in just 1 hospital. He actively serves in 3 government hospitals:
1. Hospital Selayang, Selangor
2. Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, Alor Setar, Kedah
3. AMDI, Kepala Batas, Penang
Curious, I finally asked, “Doctor, do you have a driver? How do you manage this much travel every week to three states?” For me, traveling from Penang to Kelantan is already exhausting.
He replied, “No driver, I drive myself. It is tiring, yes. But this is my passion. I love what I do. Meeting patients and helping them keeps me going.”
Then I asked, “Wouldn’t it be more rewarding to go into private practice?”
He said:
“Most of my juniors left for private a long time ago. It’s true, private pays better. But I’ve learned not to live based on others’ paths. I live based on what makes me fulfilled. When you know what you want, how others live won’t affect you anymore.”
In 2020, right amid COVID-19 uncertainties, Mr. Leow performed the first successful liver resection at AMDI, a groundbreaking moment for the institution. While many hesitated due to the pandemic, he moved forward, setting a new benchmark for surgical care in a government facility.
He’s incredibly active, eats clean, practices intermittent fasting for 12 hours, and exercises when possible. Pure passion, discipline, and service.
To me, Mr. Leow is an unsung hero.
He represents the best of the Malaysian public healthcare system, offering private-level care without expecting applause.
His story reminded me:
It’s not about the money, the title, or the praise. It’s about passion. And when passion leads, impact follows.
Dr. Pavitira Manogaran is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism and Wellness (FHPK), Universiti Malaysia Kelantan. She specializes in Business Information Technology, Hospitality Management, and Sustainable Practices. For inquiries or collaborations, she can be contacted at [email protected].
