KUCHING, Oct 22: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) education bureau chief, Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing intends to continue looking for evidence which would confirm that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has already recognised seven dental schools in Taiwan in 1996.
Ding in a statement revealed this after he and his delegates met former Minister of Health Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai in Kuala Lumpur on October 21.
The delegates comprised fellow education bureau members Wong Ching Yong, Deputy President of the Federation of Alumni Associations of Taiwan Universities Malaysia (FAATUM) Ang Boon Chin, its past Presidents Javet Tay and Ngeow Yiing Yi, senior Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) member Dr Milton Lum and senior counsel Datuk Wong Rhen Yan.
Ding disclosed that during the meeting, Liow confirmed that the seven dental schools in Taiwan were fully recognised in 1996.
He also revealed that Liow had personally helped to solve some technical problems related to the recognition of the seven dental schools in Taiwan in 2012 while he was still the Minister of Health.
According to Ding, Liow said the seven dental schools in Taiwan were fully recognised in 1996.
“He (Liow) said it was unfair when suddenly in 2016 that the Malaysian Dental Council (MDC) and the MOH without advance notice requested the Taiwan dental graduates to attend a one year course in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and to pass a qualifying examination if they wished to register with the MDC.”
He continued to say that FAATUM will write to the Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and his deputy Dr Lee Boon Chye for a meeting after obtaining a legal opinion from Wong Rhen Yan.
Ding elaborated that since July 17, SUPP education bureau and FAATUM have successfully met three important witnesses who were instrumental in the full recognition of seven Taiwanese dental degrees in 1996.
He revealed that they were past FAATUM president Javet Tay (1995-1998), former Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Ming and the then Director-General of Health, Tan Sri Abu Bakar Suleiman.
Ding added that all three have confirmed that in 1996, MOH fully recognised the seven dental schools in Taiwan after a complete accreditation exercise and visits to the seven dental schools in Taiwan.
“SUPP education bureau and FAATUM are now arranging to meet Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam to ascertain why in 2016 he suddenly told the Taiwan dental graduates that if they wish to be registered with the MDC, they had to study one year in USM and to sit for and pass a qualifying exam subsequently,” he concluded.
