Here is an extract from a rather long article by Dr Patrick SK Tan in The Star newspaper on 19 Aug 2007. He was writing primarily about concerns affecting elderly patients who are in intensive care units in hospitals. Here is what he has to say about Living Wills:
Patients who wish to retain the ability for their own decision making with regard to provision of comfort in the terminal stages of life may author a living will, stating their wishes concerning the types of treatment and the circumstances in which these could be applied.
They may also specify what treatments they would not like to be given and allow the withdrawal of such treatments if started.
Living wills address some of the concerns of patients about being in control and being in comfort at the end of life.
At present, there is no statutory or Malaysian medical professional sanction or prohibition on an individual’s use of a living will.
Malaysian doctors have the discretion to exercise their professional judgement in the interpretation of a patient’s living will according to the circumstances of the patient.