Sarawak calls for greater representation in MMC

KUCHING: The current representation in the Malaysia Medical Council (MMC) is worse than Sarawak’s representation in the Parliament of Malaysia.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian lamented that despite having 33 members, MMC has only one representative each from Sarawak and Sabah.

With Sarawak Medical Council (SMC) or MMC Sarawak, he said the region could welcome medical specialists unrecognised by the MMC, providing the much-needed expertise to an ageing population.

“The minority voices fighting for Sarawak in the recent unnecessary saga of not recognising specialist training in Malaysia through parallel pathways have highlighted critical issues.

“Sarawak is very short of cardiothoracic surgeons, with waiting lists extending up to two years. This decision severely damages the international and local reputation of the medical specialist profession and causes serious disruptions, impacting the much-needed training of specialists for Sarawak.

“It is extremely sad that the MMC in 2024 is very different from when I was an elected member from Sarawak for the 2006-2008,” he said in a Facebook post.

Dr Sim, who is also the Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, said he had conveyed Sarawak’s position on the parallel pathways to federal Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, in the presence of the Ministry of Health (MOH) director-general and acting MOH secretary-general, both verbally during their meetings this year and in writing.

He added that these issues were addressed in their presentations on Sarawak’s health autonomy under Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), advocating a Sarawak Medical Council (SMC) or an independent branch of MMC Sarawak.

“With an SMC or an independent branch of MMC Sarawak, Sarawak will not be at the mercy of the MMC, but will instead ensure Sarawak’s aspiration to catch up with the medical services in West Malaysia and beyond,” said Dr Sim.

In the statement, Dr Sim congratulated Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira for being re-elected to the MMC, representing Sarawak as its sole elected member.

Of the two registered medical practitioners contesting, Dr Khaira was elected at the end of the counting session on June 29, commencing his tenure on July 1.

The MMC is composed of 33 members. Among them, there are 17 elected members, with 15 designated for West Malaysia, and one each for Sabah and Sarawak.

Additionally, there are 15 nominated members, consisting of nine from universities, three from private practitioners, and three from the public sector.

The MOH director-general serves as the president of the MMC.