NEWSBREAKER! Secret meeting at PICC today to legalise "Illegal" PP

The cabinet has yet to meet the discuss the amendment to legalise the "illegal" Parallel Pathway medical specialist training program conducted in Malaysia and by Malaysian but qualification issued UK colleges and not recognised under the law. 

It came to this blogger's attention that a secret meeting is being organised for today at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre between 2.30 pm  4.30 pm. The meeting is described as secret for  reason only those parties for the "illegal" Parallel Pathway is invited, including those outside the ambit of the Ministry of Health (MOH). 

The invitation sighted by this blogger is a circular from MOH signed by Dato Dr Mohd Azman bin Yaacob, Pengarah Perkembangan Perubatan, Kementerian Kesihatan with the status as "SEGERA DAN SULIT". 

According to the circular, the MOH and MOHE had submitted a joint Memorandum to the Cabinet to amend Medical Act 1971 (Act 50) under the pretext to streamline the process to recognise and register Medical Specialist. In other word, it is intended to legalise the "illegal" PP program. 

The invitation today is a briefing by the Division acting as Secretariat together with the Legal Adviser of MOH. The letter was cc'ed to the various senior position holders of MOH. 

The academics invited came from the Academy of Medicine (AMM), Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), The Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia (APHM), The Malaysian Association for Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery (MATCVS), Malaysian Urological Association (MUA), Academy of Family Physicians Malaysia (AFPM), Family Medicine Specialist Association (FMSA), and The Malaysian-Ireland Training Programme for Family Medicine (MITPFM).

It is obvious that the briefing seek to get the endorsement of parties and those in the area of medicine that PP trainees are in need to get recognised for their unrecognisable "illegal" training. [Read Codeblue here.] 

Academy of Medicine and related parties

AMM, College of Surgeons (CSAMM) and MATCVS are related party groups. AAM and CSAMM lied to claim British GMC recognised PP.  

The Master of AAM signed the MOU for PP with MOH. They are the COMMERCIAL COLLABORATOR and partner for Malaysia with MOH. As a vested interest party and initiator of PP, AAM is as good as beholden to it and will not give good feedback for public interest. 

They are represented in the meeting by Prof Dr Rosmawati Mohamed (Master), Dato Dr Mohd Sharifuddin bin Mohd Asari, Dato Dr Alzamani Mohd Idrose, Prof Emir. Dr Cheong Koon Seong, Prof Emir. Dato' Dr Lokman Saim, Prof Dato Seri Paras Doshi, Prof Dato' Siti Zawiyah Omar, Prof Dr Siti Ismiarti Sharifuddin, Dr Anita Sulaiman, Prof Dr Norlisa Mohd Ramli, Prof Dr Shatriah Ismail, Dr Siow Sze Li, and Prof Dr Thong Meow Keong. 

All 13 member-doctor attending. Why is AAM represented by so many representative in the secret meeting? Is it to show might is right and force their views?

Private specialists failed to realise

MMA had lauded government plan to recognise PP and expressed eagerness to solve the problem back in April. They are outrightly pro-"illegal" PP. 

Dr Kuljit Singh representing APHM will blindly support MOH like any "cari makan" and wealth pursuing private doctors. He failed to realised that if PP is recognise, there will be a flux of local and foreign specialists. 

The private specialist will lose their competitiveness. Malaysian private specialist will lose credibility for bulldozing to recognise this illegal PP program. He could not see its impact.

CTS, Urology and Family Medicine PP

Repeatedly mentioned in this blog, MATCVS are neither registered as a higher education provider under the MOHE not Treasury registration to run FRCS International for RCS Edinburgh. They illegally started the CTS program without due diligence and clearance from MQA. 

The President and a loud regular defender for PP, Dato Dr Basheer Ahmad Abdul Kareem was invited with three other members to lend the numbers present. 

The MUA is the MATCVS version to start the Urology PP program. The UK FRCS is only recognised in Malaysia but strangely not regulated by UK's GMC. The Chairman of MUA is allegedly the brother to the Solicitor General advising the Cabinet on PPChairman of MUA is allegedly the brother to the Solicitor General advising the Cabinet on PP. 

AFPM runs the iFRACGP but is not the Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) as recognised by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in the country of origin. 

Similar to CTS and Urulogy, MMC cannot recognise foreign diploma or degree not recognised in its home country. In this case, the Australian Medical Council and any regulatory authority in Malaysia do not recognise iFRACGP conducted by AFPM.                  

FMSA has its President Dr Norsiah Ali invited. She is from MOH and conduct the MITPFM program, a PP program from Ireland. 

This program is only for Malaysian and not recognised by MMC and the Irish Medical Council when it started. As of today, it has limited recognisation  from Ireland. It is conducted by "RUM" and now seeking recognisation from MOHE and accredition from MAA. 

The so-called plight of illegal PP Family Medicine practitioner to get short cut recognition is reported by Codeblue here.   

Dato Dr Nazrila Hairzan Nasir, Deputy National Clinical Director is invited to represent MITPFM.   

Failed in their role

All these PP programs were illegally initiated by the former Director General Tan Sri Dr Nor Hisham Abdullah. 

Other than the parties mentioned, the CEO of MQA, Prof Dato Dr Mohamed Sattar contributed to the PP problem to get out of hand by being hopelessly weak in enforcement, letting matters go, no action taken and not defending government regulation and policy.   

The Medical Faculty Deans and management of local Universities such as UKM, UiTM and University Malaya were either lazy or sabotaged effort to establish local Medical Specialist programs to fill the public and nation's need. 

Certain character were protecting their nest and chose to stay clear of controversies for being critical, truthful and responsible. 

And these doctors were goodie boys and girls, studious bookworms and clever in school. They should be relied on to be defenders of the national interest and soil their hands to contribute to nation building. 

Unfortunately they sold their soul to the colonial master after more than 60 years of independence. It is happening when former colonies of the west in Asia are now rising to be economic giants. What a shame!