File picture shows Wong (3rd from right) with a team who called on then Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chai (5th from left) to discuss on the issue.
SIBU (Oct 3): Malaysian graduates from seven Taiwan dental schools are still kept in the dark as to whether the Malaysia Dental Council (MDC) will recognise their degrees.
SUPP Dudong branch Wong Ching Yong said the Federation of Alumni Association of Taiwan Universities Malaysia (FAATUM) had written to MDC on March 3, 2020 on the recognition issue.
“However, it has been more than 18 months and we are yet to hear anything from the Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah,” he told reporters during a Zoom press conference.
Wong said they had requested that all the seven schools be gazetted pursuant to Section 12 (1) of Dental Act 1971 because in 1996, both MDC and Ministry of Health (MOH) had neglected to gazette these seven schools.
He added that if Dental Act 2018 is implemented, the seven schools from Taiwan should be given the same exemption of 5 years pursuant to Section 21 of the Dental Act 2018.
“Under the said section 102 of the Dental Act 2018, all dental graduates from the dental schools listed in the 2nd schedule of Dental Act 1971 need not sit for qualifying exams and can directly register themselves as dental surgeon under section 31 Dental Act 2018 within five years from the date of appointment.
Therefore, if the Act is appointed to come into force in 2022, all 2nd Schedule dental schools previously under previous Act can apply for direct admission until 2027.
Wong said FAATUM also asked MDC and MOH to consider extending the registration period until such time when the Professional Qualifying Examination is implemented pursuant to the Dental Act 2018 was deliberated by the MDC on Jan 13, 2020 in paragraph 4 of the letter from MDC dated Feb 19, 2020.
He noted that the Minister of Health on January 24, 2020 had agreed that this criteria will only be applicable to Taiwan graduates applying to register from 2016 to 2021 or until the Dental Act 2018 is implemented, whichever comes first.
“We are of the view that in all fairness and for the sake of clarity the above paragraph should be amended in accordance with paragraph 4 of the letter from FAATUM dated March 3, 2020,” Wong added.
In the event the implementation of the Dental Act 2018 is delayed due to unforeseen circumstances the Taiwan graduates will not face the same predicament they were facing previously, he said.
“We trust that our suggestion will provide certainty to the future of the dental students who are currently studying in the seven Taiwan universities.”
To clarify their position as to the proposed changes of wording, Wong said their request to the health director-general is that in the event Dental Act 2018 has not been implemented yet in 2021, any Taiwanese Dental graduate who applied in 2022 and thereafter but before the implementation of Dental Act 2018 will still not be eligible to enjoy the exemption.
“But there must not be any discrimination between those who applied before and after 2021 unless and until the enforcement of Dental Act 2018.”
Wong recalled that then Health Minister Dr Chua Jui Meng held a press conference confirming the recognition of seven dental schools from Taiwan on Jan 23, 1996.
However, on July 18, 2019, Dr Noor Hisham said the dental qualifications from Taiwan have never been recognised under the Act as those qualifications have never been recognised under the 2nd Schedule of the Dental Act 2018, he added.
The seven dental schools are Taiwan University School of Medicine, National Defense School of Medicine, Yangming University School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, China Medical University, Zhongshan Medical University and Kaoshiung Medical University.
Currently, eight Sarawak students are still studying in these schools and their future looks bleak unless the government recognize their accreditation.
Parents of two of the students who also attended the Zoom meeting said their daughters chose to study in Taiwan because of the affordable school fees.
They also said the government had recognised the degrees all these years and there is no reason why the recognition was taken away. They expressed the hope that the government will revert back to the former recognition.