The Association of Private Practitioners Sabah (APPS) strongly welcomes and fully supports the Malaysian Medical Council’s (MMC) directive dated September 23, 2025, which unequivocally prohibits the issuance of Medical Sick Certificates (MCs) solely through virtual consultation.
This ruling is not just appropriate, but long overdue.
A Long-Standing Threat Finally Addressed
For years, the medical profession has witnessed the rise of commercial platforms offering MCs on demand, turning a medico-legal document into a digital commodity.
These services reduce clinical judgement to a transactional purchase and expose patients to unsafe medical decision-making.
Such practices are ethically indefensible, professionally damaging, and dangerous to patient health and public safety.
MMC’s decisive action now draws a clear red line. An MC must be based on proper history taking, physical examination, and clinical assessment, and not purchased through a chatbot, AI interface, or “click-to-buy” telehealth feature.
This directive restores dignity to medical practice and corrects a trend that has compromised patient safety for far too long.
A Win For Ethical Medicine And Patient Safety
APPS applauds the MMC for its clarity and courage. However, clarity must be followed by strict enforcement.
APPS reiterates that doctors and corporate telehealth operators who continue issuing MCs without in-person examination must face firm disciplinary action.
To platforms built on mass-produced MCs, the message is simple and final: the era of exploiting MCs for profit at the expense of ethics is over.
The medical profession cannot and will not be allowed to deteriorate into a marketplace where legitimacy can be purchased.
APPS’ Call To Action
To ensure that MMC’s directive is not merely symbolic, APPS urges the following:
- The Ministry of Health (MOH) must implement active surveillance on telehealth providers to detect unauthorised online MC issuance.
- The MMC must identify and investigate repeat offenders without delay.
- Employers nationwide must reject MCs issued without physical examinations.
- All medical associations in Malaysia must close ranks to defend clinical examination as the foundation of safe medical practice.
The MMC has spoken firmly and unambiguously. APPS stands fully and unwaveringly behind this directive.
The sanctity of medical certification is not negotiable, and the profession must not be commercialised at the expense of ethics, safety, and trust.
This statement was issued by APPS president Dr Devadas Pathiyil Ramankutty.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
