Zaid hails Zambry for stepping into MMC-doctors dispute
The former law minister says the government should show it is not afraid to defend public interests against the interests of professional bodies.
PETALING JAYA: Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has praised higher education minister Zambry Abdul Kadir for stepping into the dispute between the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) graduate doctors over MMC’s non-recognition of specialists.
In a post on X, Zaid said it was unnecessary for well-qualified doctors and surgeons to get justice from the courts when it was the responsibility of the health ministry to “rectify the errors” of MMC.
He said even though the various professions are regulated by their respective professional bodies, with lawyers under the Malaysian Bar and doctors under MMC, the government should intervene and act quickly when problems persist.
“I don’t understand why the health and higher education ministers can’t put their foot down and tell MMC that the welfare of patients and the medical practice are not the exclusive purview of the council.
“Good job, Zambry. Show the people that the government takes its role seriously and is not afraid to step in and defend public interests when professional bodies have difficulty balancing their interests with those of the public,” he said.
Zambry yesterday said he had called for a meeting with the health ministry and MMC to resolve the council’s non-recognition of a specialist course by a local university as soon as possible.
All teaching hospitals come under the purview of the higher education ministry.
“In terms of jurisdiction, this matter falls under the health ministry. What I am trying to do is to get all of us to come together and get to the root of the problem,” Zambry said, adding that he hoped to achieve this after Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Zambry said the meeting would also include representatives from USM and the Malaysian Qualification Agency.
Six USM graduates in pathology (medical genetics) had sought a judicial review to compel MMC to enrol them in the National Specialist Register (NSR) and enable them to practise as independent specialists in Malaysia.
They said MMC’s refusal to list them on the NSR was “unreasonable and irrational” and tantamount to misconduct by the medical regulator.
The doctors want the High Court to annul MMC’s decision, issue a declaration of their compliance with registration requirements, and compel the regulator to register them.
They claim that not being listed on the NSR would impede their career progression and potentially make them ineligible for sub-specialisation in medical genetic pathology.
“MMC’s decision has severely impacted our livelihood. The decision also carries wide ramifications in the context of public medical service,” the doctors said in their affidavits.
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