Medical courses: Is Liow trying to make M'sia the next Zimbabwe

Liow - his ideas have been panned one after another

Nga Kor Ming

I regard it as crazy and ridiculous the announcement made by Health Minister, Dato Seri Liow Tiong Lai, that his Ministry had agreed to prohibit all Higher learning centers in Malaysia to conduct Medical courses for a period of 5 years.

During an interview with Sin Chew daily, it was reported that both the Health Ministry and Higher Education Ministry had achieved mutual understanding to implement such policy, subject only to the cabinet approval now.

Frankly, I felt depressed by such a proposal.

If the Health Minister has his way this time, it means that only the rich can be trained as Doctors as the poor will not be able to further their studies or to pursue their Medical degrees abroad. This is one of the most crazy ideas and must be viewed with grave concern.

In addition, all the professors and lecturers at the local Medical Faculties will be either jobless or most likely will opt to leave the country to the greener pastures that offer better prospects than Malaysia. As a result, Malaysia will suffer another brain drain crisis - aggravated by the government's own doing.

It must be noted that even the 50 1Malaysia clinics set up since last year only have medical assistants but do not have any doctors - a practice and standard only accepted in Zimbabwe.

Are we now deteriorating to such levels? Are we aspiring to be the next Africa? Thinks twice for yourselves.


(Nga Kor Ming is the DAP MP for Taiping)