MALAYSIA · MALAYSIAN STEM CELL REGISTRY
Become a stem cell donor in Malaysia
For people who live in Malaysia. Live somewhere else? Find your country.
If you live in Malaysia, you can join Malaysian Stem Cell Registry from age 18 to 50. The Malaysian Stem Cell Registry, set up by the Ministry of Health with the National Cancer Council (MAKNA) in December 2000, signs up Malaysian citizens: its online form asks you to confirm you’re Malaysian and to give your IC number. 3 5 Checked .
Browsing from another country? See how joining works where you live.
| Place | Malaysia |
|---|---|
| Region | South-eastern Asia, Asia 9 |
| Population | About 35.1 million (2023) 10 |
| Registry | Malaysian Stem Cell Registry (Ministry of Health Malaysia – Institute for Medical Research (Allergy and Immunology Research Centre), National Institutes of Health) 2 3 5 |
| Who can join | Ages 18 to 50The Malaysian Stem Cell Registry’s donor conditions name Malaysian citizens aged 18 to 50 in good health. Its remote sign-up form’s Malay text opens it to all Malaysian citizens, though its English text says “the public”, so permanent residents and foreign workers should check with MSCR first. 1 5 |
| How you sign up | You can ask the Malaysian Stem Cell Registry online for a kit sent by Pos Laju, swab your cheeks at home and leave the kit at any Pos Laju branch, or book a walk-in visit at its office in Setia Alam, Selangor. 2 5 |
| Cost | The Malaysian Stem Cell Registry pays the postage to send your kit back, and neither its website nor its sign-up form mentions any fee. 2 5 |
| In the world’s donor search | No organization based in Malaysia lists adult donors in the World Marrow Donor Association’s Search & Match (). 8 |
| Public cord blood bank | Malaysia’s National Blood Centre has stored cord blood in the national cord blood bank since July 2002, and its FAQ says donating cord blood to the government bank is free, but it doesn’t say how to arrange a donation today. 6 7 |
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| Next check |
A stem cell donor registry is also called a bone marrow or blood stem cell donor registry.
Who runs the stem cell donor registry in Malaysia?
Malaysian Stem Cell Registry signs up people who live in Malaysia. It is run by Ministry of Health Malaysia – Institute for Medical Research (Allergy and Immunology Research Centre), National Institutes of Health, a public body.
Malaysia’s government stem cell registry takes citizens aged 18 to 50 and posts a kit. 1 5
How do I join in Malaysia?
MAKNA, the National Cancer Council, runs the Malaysian Stem Cell Registry’s talks and booths, and people who sign up there join the same registry. 1
Malaysian Stem Cell Registry
Run by Ministry of Health Malaysia – Institute for Medical Research (Allergy and Immunology Research Centre), National Institutes of Health, a public body.
18–50years old to join
- Who it’s for
- People who live in Malaysia, aged 18 to 50.
- Languages
- Malay and English
Why this one first Malaysia’s national registry, run by the Ministry of Health, for Malaysian citizens: request a home swab kit or visit by appointment (18–50).
Link checked Read the registry’s rules (opens in a new tab)
Who can join in Malaysia?
Malaysian Stem Cell Registry signs up people who live in Malaysia. Its own pages have the full rules, and the registry decides.
- Your health
- Most healthy adults can join. Some conditions rule it out. Read the registry’s health rules (opens in a new tab)
Malaysia and the world’s donor search
No organization based in Malaysia lists adult donors in the World Marrow Donor Association’s Search & Match (). 8
These are records listed for searching, not a count of people, and they count where each organization is based, not where its donors live.
The Malaysian Stem Cell Registry’s website counted 46,512 registered blood stem cell donors and 26 registry donors who had donated, as of June 2026. 2
What happens after I join?
Your tissue type is recorded, so searches for patients can find you. If you match a patient, Malaysian Stem Cell Registry contacts you, checks you’re still willing and well, and arranges more tests.
Searches for Malaysian patients are coordinated by the National Stem Cell Coordination Centre at Malaysia’s National Blood Centre, which finds matched stem cell donors and cord blood for unrelated transplants. 6
Questions about joining in Malaysia
Can I join if I’m not a citizen of Malaysia?
The Malaysian Stem Cell Registry’s donor conditions name Malaysian citizens aged 18 to 50 in good health. Its remote sign-up form’s Malay text opens it to all Malaysian citizens, though its English text says “the public”, so permanent residents and foreign workers should check with MSCR first. 1 5
How do I sign up in Malaysia: online, by kit or in person?
You can ask the Malaysian Stem Cell Registry online for a kit sent by Pos Laju, swab your cheeks at home and leave the kit at any Pos Laju branch, or book a walk-in visit at its office in Setia Alam, Selangor. 2 5
Does it cost anything to join in Malaysia?
The Malaysian Stem Cell Registry pays the postage to send your kit back, and neither its website nor its sign-up form mentions any fee. 2 5
How old do you have to be to join Malaysian Stem Cell Registry?
Malaysian Stem Cell Registry signs up people aged 18 to 50. 5
Can I donate cord blood in Malaysia?
Malaysia’s National Blood Centre has stored cord blood in the national cord blood bank since July 2002, and its FAQ says donating cord blood to the government bank is free, but it doesn’t say how to arrange a donation today. 6 7
Questions about donating itself have their own pages: Does it hurt?, How donation works and Recovery.
The registries’ own pages
- Majlis Kanser Nasional (MAKNA). Malaysian Stem Cell Registry (MSCR) - MAKNA microsite.
Government and official registers
- Malaysian Stem Cell Registry (MSCR), Institute for Medical Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia. Daftar Sel Stem Malaysia - Menu Utama (home).
- Malaysian Stem Cell Registry (MSCR), Institute for Medical Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia. Latar Belakang (Background).
- Malaysian Stem Cell Registry (MSCR), Institute for Medical Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia. Cara Cara Mendaftar (How to register).
- Malaysian Stem Cell Registry (MSCR), Institute for Medical Research, Ministry of Health Malaysia (Google Forms). Malaysian Stem Cell Registry (Remote Registration).
- Pusat Darah Negara (National Blood Centre), Ministry of Health Malaysia. Bahagian Histokompatibiliti dan Immunogenetik (H&I).
- Pusat Darah Negara (National Blood Centre), Ministry of Health Malaysia. FAQs Darah Tali Pusat & Pusat Koordinasi Sel Stem Kebangsaan.
The World Marrow Donor Association and other figures
- WMDA. WMDA Total Number of Donors and Cord blood units.
- United Nations Statistics Division. Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49): Overview (English table).
- UN DESA Population Division. World Population Prospects 2024: Total population by sex (CSV).
- WMDA (Share, Organisation data public access). Database.
- WMDA. WMDA Total Number of Donors and Cord blood units.
Research and other sources
- Jada Bascom Foundation. About us: Jada’s story.Checked