The issue of costs is also important: the government itself acknowledges that the cost of health care will rise. It would be therefore be ironical if the government ended up spending more on such subsidies because it was purchasing health care services from a profit-motivated private sector. The government will need to monitor the implementation of its policy very carefully to ensure that its commitments to equity holds true and that its efforts to reorganize the health care system are resulting in more efficient and effective treatment. Given the important equity issues raised by the government’s efforts to reorientate the public health care system, it will also be important for Malaysian interest groups concerned with consumers’ interests and social justice to intensify their scrutiny of the policy process, which has been carried out with a minimum of consultation and a high degree of secrecy.