The First Malaysia Plan was an economic development plan implemented by the government of Malaysia. It was the first economic plan for the whole of Malaysia—Sabah

Sabah

Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...

 and Sarawak

Sarawak

Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...

 included—as opposed to just Malaya

Federation of Malaya

The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...

, which previous economic plans (such as the Second Malayan Five Year Plan

Second Malayan Five Year Plan

The Second Malayan Five Year Plan was an economic development plan launched by the government of Malaya, and continued by the government of Malaysia . This plan followed the First Malayan Five Year Plan, which ran from 1956 to 1960...

) had confined themselves to. The Plan's objectives were to promote the welfare of all citizens, and improve the living conditions in rural areas, particularly among low-income groups.
The Plan attempted to increase access to medical facilities in rural areas through the formation of the Rural Health Service.