KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — Two additional groups representing doctors have joined calls demanding immediate reforms to the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) to enhance transparency and efficiency within the regulatory body.
Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK), a leading advocate for the welfare of junior doctors and the advancement of Malaysia’s health care, highlighted the urgent need for MMC reform due to its opaque decision-making processes.
“HDK supports Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran’s call for change within the MMC, emphasising transparency. Recent controversies over postgraduate qualifications and parallel pathway programmes highlight the need for clarity and fairness.
“Inconsistent decisions and lack of transparency have caused distress among medical professionals and compromised health care quality,” HDK said in a statement today.
The senator’s proposals, as reported by CodeBlue last Tuesday, included transparent MMC elections and public disclosure of decisions by the Medical Education Committee (MEC) and Specialty Subcommittees for Education (SSC-Edu), which HDK described as “crucial steps toward rebuilding trust”.
HDK said urgent amendments to the Medical Act 1971 (Act 50) are necessary to address issues with parallel pathway programmes and ensure MMC accountability.
The group also called for increased representation of the Ministry of Health (MOH) within the MMC to safeguard national health care interests.
“The rejection of specialist registration applications threatens medical education and practice in Malaysia. We urge stakeholders to support a reformed and transparent MMC that prioritises professionalism, ethics, and patient care,” HDK said.
Meanwhile, the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (AMM) has reiterated its unwavering support for MOH’s proposed amendments to Act 50, aimed at recognising individuals who have completed their training through parallel pathways and Master programmes as medical specialists.
“As the AMM continues to collaborate with the MOH in enhancing specialist training pathways, we eagerly await a positive outcome from the upcoming Cabinet meeting.
“AMM acknowledges the significance of this meeting as a pivotal moment in ongoing efforts to address challenges surrounding Parallel Pathway and Master programmes. This progressive measure is a step forward in resolving the current shortage of medical specialists and ensuring equitable access to high-quality health care services for all Malaysians,” AMM said in a statement.
AMM reaffirmed its commitment to unifying specialist training through Parallel Pathway and Master programmes, streamlining regulatory frameworks, and expediting necessary amendments to existing legislation, highlighting their shared commitment to addressing Malaysia’s critical shortage of medical specialists.
