Putrajaya has agreed to table a bill to address issues concerning the parallel pathway programme, says Fahmi Fadzil.
The unity government spokesperson said the Cabinet made the decision today and said amendments would be tabled during the upcoming parliamentary meeting.
He noted that it was subject to a joint memorandum by the health ministry and the higher education ministry, which must be submitted within “a week or two”.
“If everything goes smoothly, it will be brought to Parliament in the upcoming meeting or thereafter,” he told a press conference today,
Fahmi said the amendments were expected to resolve the overlapping of powers between the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) and the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC).
Last week, the communication minister said the Cabinet was informed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) that some amendments to the law were needed to solve issues concerning the parallel pathway programme.
On May 27, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the Medical Act 1971 will be amended to resolve issues related to the parallel pathway programme.
In March, Dr Dzulkefly told the Dewan Rakyat that only 14 cardiothoracic surgeons were working under his ministry.
Malaysian graduates sent by the government to study cardiothoracic surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh are unable to practise in Malaysia as their qualifications are not accepted by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC).
In response to the ongoing dispute, four cardiothoracic surgeons who qualified from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, alongside six graduates from Universiti Sains Malaysia, have filed a lawsuit against the MMC. – June 6, 2024.