The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations, Malaysia (FPMPAM) is deeply disturbed by the recent statement made in Parliament by Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Deputy Minister Fuziah Salleh, citing a Naccol (National Action Council on Cost of Living) “mandate” that private clinics must issue a doctor’s prescription for every consultation and provide itemised billing for all services rendered.
Upon review of the recording, it now appears that the statement was framed as a policy recommendation within the Naccol framework, rather than a formal directive. However, this does not absolve the recklessness of the delivery, nor the dangerous precedent it sets.
A Dangerous Blurring Of Jurisdictions
Naccol is a policy advisory council — it is not a regulatory authority, and it has no legal standing to impose conditions on medical practice. Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad is himself a member of Naccol.
By presenting such policy “suggestions” in Parliament — without legal basis, stakeholder consultation, or coordination with the Ministry of Health (MOH) — the domestic trade and cost of living deputy minister has ignited widespread confusion and anger among health care professionals, usurped the regulatory role of the MOH, and opened the door to further bureaucratic overreach by non-health actors into the sanctity of clinical governance.
Where is the Ministry of Health?
It is telling — and deeply disappointing — that the MOH has remained silent. The lack of immediate clarification or corrective comment from the Director-General of Health only reinforces perceptions that the Ministry is either indifferent or incapable of defending the autonomy and dignity of the medical profession.
If the MOH cannot speak when another ministry defines how doctors should treat and charge patients — then who speaks for us?
FPMPAM’s Stand: Enough Is Enough
Doctors are not bound by Naccol recommendations unless they are translated into law or regulation by the proper authorities.
Prescriptions are clinical tools, not bureaucratic checklists.
Itemised billing upon demand is already provided for under existing regulations. Forcing unbundled billing without due consideration will inflate patient costs, not reduce them.
We demand that the Ministry of Health immediately:
- Clarify the legal status of the Naccol statement;
- Affirm that clinical practice remains under the jurisdiction of medical regulatory authorities; and
- Reinstate proper consultation protocols for any future health-related cost control proposals.
A Profession Under Siege
In recent years, we’ve seen an erosion of medical autonomy: unregulated TPAs (third-party administrators), unchecked retail encroachments, and now, policy dictates from cost-of-living task forces.
The Naccol episode is not an isolated misstep — it is a symptom of deeper systemic failure in health leadership and inter-ministerial boundaries. If left unchallenged, it risks normalising political interference in medical decision-making.
We call upon all medical organisations, state societies, and individual practitioners to stand united in defence of our professional sovereignty.
This statement was issued by Dr Shanmuganathan Ganeson, president of the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM).
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
