KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 — The Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) has asked the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) to grant amnesty to doctors affected by delays in approving Annual Practising Certificates (APC) for 2026, to allow them to continue practising while awaiting issuance of their certificates.
APHM president Dr Kuljit Singh said the association shared concerns over the delays, which he said carried legal implications for affected practitioners.
“For doctors who submitted their APC applications in accordance with the stipulated deadline of November 30, 2025, the APC issuance delays are beyond their control,” Dr Kuljit told CodeBlue when contacted today.
He added that APHM had formally written to the MMC to seek temporary relief for affected doctors. “In this regard, APHM has formally written to the MMC to request amnesty to allow affected doctors to continue practicing while awaiting the issuance of their certificates.”
However, even if the MMC were to grant amnesty, issue an assurance, or implement an interim administrative measure as requested by APHM, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), and the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM), such steps may not fully protect doctors during the period without a valid APC.
While any amnesty could shield doctors from disciplinary action by the MMC and potentially from criminal prosecution under the Medical Act 1971, it would not necessarily protect practitioners or hospitals from malpractice lawsuits by patients, nor guarantee the validity of medical indemnity coverage during that period.
CodeBlue previously reported that delays in issuing APCs for 2026 have left many doctors without valid certificates at the start of the year, raising medico-legal concerns across the health sector.
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said the backlog involved tens of thousands of practitioners and warned that compliant doctors risked being criminalised due to administrative delays.
The MMC has yet to issue a public statement on the APC delays, while the Ministry of Health (MOH) has not responded to queries on how the delays may affect public health services.
The MMC is headed by its president, Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab, who is also the Health director-general at the MOH. He holds a 2026 APC. However, 10 of the MMC’s 33 council members did not have a 2026 APC displayed on the council’s public register, with their 2025 APC shown as the most recent.
