(From fourth left) Ding, Ting, Dr Lee and others at a group photo after the meeting.
SIBU: The Health Ministry is reviewing 2016 decision requiring dental graduates from Taiwan to sit for qualifying examination in Malaysia.
This was disclosed by Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye when contacted yesterday.
He said in 2016, the then Minister of Health added a condition requiring graduates from seven dental schools to pass a professional qualifying examination even if they passed Taiwan Board examination to be able to practise in Malaysia.
That was the reason why graduates before 2016 did not have to sit for examination in Malaysia, he said.
“If they’ve already practised for two years in Taiwan, they can immediately practise in Malaysia after passing the examination. However, fresh graduates need to undergo two years of clinical practice in Malaysia before they could be registered,” he added.
According to him, the decision of JPA and Malaysia Dental Council (MDC) in 1996 was a conditional recognition of the seven dental degrees from Taiwan.
That means, those graduates need to go through two years of clinical practice in Malaysia before they could be registered.
He said the condition is consistent with Dental Act 1971 Section 12(9) which gives the minister the power to set conditions or restrictions following consultations with MDC.
Hence, Taiwan dental graduates were never recognised under Dental Act 1971, section 12(1).
“We are studying the 2016 decision again but no immediate decision as yet,” he said.
He added that the new Dental Act 2018 which was passed in Parliament in April 2018 (yet to be enforced) would require all dental graduates whether from local or foreign universities to pass a common examination before registration.
Meanwhile, in a press statement by Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) education bureau this afternoon, SUPP stated that Dr Lee revealed in a meeting in Kuala Lumpur that if the Ministry of Health decided not to recognise certain universities, the decision could not be effective immediately because it would be unfair to the students who are still studying.
“He said that likewise if Taiwanese degrees were not recognised today, the decision would not be effective immediately.
“The effective time must be five years later, so that parents and students, including potential students would be aware of the decision and be prepared. He said that this is a worldwide practice,” said the statement.
The meeting with Dr Lee was attended by the SUPP education bureau led by Datuk Ding Kuang Hiing and the Federation of Alumni Association of Taiwan Universities Malaysia (FAATUM) president Datuk Lawrence Ting.
They met to discuss the predicaments faced by graduates caused by the sudden non recognition of seven Taiwanese dental schools announced by MDC president Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah on July 17.
The affected schools are Taiwan University School of Medicine, National Defense School of Medicine, Yangming University School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, China Medical University, Zhongshan Medical University, and Kaohsiung Medical University.