Malaysia’s MyGenom project beats first-phase targets

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia (MNTV) — Malaysia’s effort to build one of its largest genome databases has exceeded its first-phase goals, recruiting 5,029 participants and sequencing 2,484 genomes, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang said, according to The Star. Both figures were above target.

MyGenom, run jointly by the science and health ministries, aims to build a Malaysian reference genome database that reflects the country’s genetic diversity and supports precision medicine. 

Chang described it as a strategic investment spanning data generation, talent, analytical infrastructure, data governance, and high-capacity sequencing, with potential openings for industry in bioinformatics, pharmacogenomics, diagnostics, and genome-based health innovation. 

The data, he said, could enable more accurate diagnosis, earlier detection of disease risk, and treatment tailored to Malaysians’ genetic profiles, while helping reduce complications and costs — and keeping Malaysians’ genomic data sovereign and secure.

Health Ministry principal investigator Dr Adiratna Mat Ripen said accelerating the project will require funding and partnerships, specifically to expand recruitment among under-represented communities such as the Orang Asli and the indigenous populations of Sabah and Sarawak, so the national reference genome adequately represents the country’s ethnic and sub-ethnic diversity. 

That will take time, she said, though the Phase 1 experience has built the necessary infrastructure. Its success, she added, will be measured not by dataset size but by the clinical benefits it delivers to the public.