The MMA Foundation was set up in 1974 to assist the Association in contributing more towards the community. This was to be done by providing donations to charities and sponsoring community health projects and public health education, continuing medical education programme and scientific researches in the country. The launching ceremony was conducted by the Minister of Health, Tan Sri Lee Siok Yew on Aug 20, 1976 at the Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

The Foundation’s first Chairman was Dato’ Dr. Lim Kee Jin, the Honorary Secretary Dr. K.B. Kuah and committee members: Dr. G.A. Sreenevasan, Dr. Liew Fu San, Dr. Teoh Soong Kee, Dr. M.K. Rajakumar and Dr. A.A. Sandosham.

More recently, the Foundation has set up a ‘Special Funds’ project for promoting better health care. Its first undertaking was the MMA Foundation Eye Fund, launched in 1989.

The Foundation with the assistance of the Ophthalmological Society of the MMA, began working towards the establishment of an Eye Fund dedicated to advancing preventive eye care in Malaysia. Its principal objectives were to increase the available pool of trained manpower for the prevention and treatment of eye diseases, and to further improve and raise the existing standards of the practice of ophthalmology at all levels.

In the last 38 years, the MMAF has given loans to 265 medical students from public and private universities amounting to RM 2,646,610. Some of the early beneficiaries of the scheme included were University Sains Malaysia, which was allocated RM 10,000 to undertake research into the organization and delivery of medical care in Malaysia; medical students of University Kebangsaan, Universiti Malaya and University Sains Malaysia through loans, repayable after graduation.