KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian obstetrician and anti-nuclear weapons campaigner Datuk Dr Ronald McCoy, a co-founder of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and former president of the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), has died at the age of 96.
His death was confirmed by his son, David McCoy, to radio station BFM89.9.
The MMA expressed deep sadness over his passing, honoring his legacy as a respected obstetrician and gynaecologist who served as its president in 1995.
"His leadership went beyond clinical practice," said MMA President Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo in a statement.
"Through sustained advocacy, he helped shape global policy on peace and nuclear disarmament. He showed us that the responsibility of a doctor extends beyond treating illness to protecting humanity and future generations."
In addition to his clinical practice, Ronald devoted much of his life to campaigning against nuclear weapons, gaining international recognition for his instrumental role in establishing ICAN.
ICAN was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 for drawing attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and driving efforts toward a treaty-based prohibition.
The idea for ICAN emerged in 2005 after negotiations on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty stalled. Ronald proposed that doctors and activists launch a global campaign modeled on the movement that successfully pushed for a ban on landmines.
“We could call it the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, with the acronym ICAN,” he famously suggested.
Formally launched two years later, ICAN grew into a global coalition of hundreds of organizations, playing a central role in the adoption of the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2017.
Born in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, in 1930, Ronald attended Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur during the late 1940s. He was among the pioneer cohort of students admitted to the University of Malaya in Singapore upon its establishment in 1949.
He joined Assunta Hospital as a consultant in 1965 before continuing his medical practice at Pantai Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur nine years later. He retired from medicine in February 1996.
A wake and memorial gathering will be held at his residence at 17, Jalan Tanjong 5/4, Petaling Jaya, from 4pm to 9pm on Friday, September 4, and Saturday, September 5. A program sharing anecdotes and memories is scheduled for 7.30pm on both evenings.
The cremation ceremony will take place at 11am on Sunday, September 6, at Nirvana Memorial Park Shah Alam, Jalan Pusara 21/1.
A memorial service will follow on Monday, September 7, at the Royal Lake Club in Kuala Lumpur from 11am to 1pm. - September 1, 2026
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