KUCHING, Oct 4: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Dudong chief Wong Ching Yong hopes the federal government will duly gazette the dental degrees of seven Taiwan Universities, which were recognised by Malaysia more than two decades ago.
The Federation of Associations of Taiwan Universities Alumni Malaysia (FATUAM) and SUPP education bureau visited former Health director-general, Tan Sri Dr Abu Bakar Suleiman, who led the professional representatives of Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), Malaysian Dental Council (MDC) and Malaysian Pharmacy Council (MPC), to conduct an accreditation exercises on the Taiwanese medical, dental and pharmacy courses.
“He was very surprised when informed that the dental degrees from the seven Taiwan Universities were not duly gazetted and the failure had caused much hardship and anguish to those Taiwan dental graduates since 2016.
“To the best of his knowledge, all procedures were properly done. Tan Sri Dr Abu Bakar Suleiman said FATUAM should appeal to the MDC and the MOH,” said Wong in a statement following today’s visit.
Wong, who represented SUPP Education Bureau chief Datuk Ding Huang Hiing at the meeting, said Ding visited former Health Minister Chua Jui Ming last month.
Wong claimed that the minister had confirmed that the dental degrees of the seven dental schools in Taiwan were already fully recognised in 1996 when he was the Health Minister.
“In his opinion, the recognition must be gazetted,” said Wong.
The affected dental schools, which had been recognised since 1996, are Taiwan University School of Medicine, National Defense School of Medicine, Yangming University School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Zhongshan Medical University and Kaohsiung Medical University.
On July 18, MDC president Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who is also the Health director-general, clarified that basic dental qualifications from Taiwan dental schools have never been recognised under the Dental Act 1971, hence has never been listed under Second Schedule of the said Act. — DayakDaily
