Liow knows about MMC’s racism, says doc

A graduate of a Ukranian university accuses the minister of faking ignorance about the issue.

KUALA LUMPUR: A doctor who graduated from Crimea State Medical University (CSMU) today accused Heath Minister Liow Tiong Lai of lying when he denied knowledge that the government practised racial discrimination when sending students abroad for medical studies.

Dr A Subendran said he met Liow in 2009 and discussed the issue with him. He gave FMT a photograph showing him with the minister taken during the discussion.

“I met him at his office regarding recognition of CSMU by the MMC (Malaysian Medical Council),” he said, adding that he also told the minister of suspicions that the council’s policy on recognition of medical degrees was motivated by racist sentiments.

Speaking to reporters in Parliament on Monday, Liow rejected allegations that the MMC was practising a double standard in compelling students going to universities in Baltic countries to do a foundation course and exempting those going to Egypt and Jordan. The government sends only Malays to the Middle Eastern universities.

Dr Subendran said Liow promised to investigate the allegation of racism during the 2009 meeting.

On Monday, Liow, after denying that there was a double standard, said he would look into the matter.

Dr Subendran described the denial as “great acting” on the part of the minister.

He also said he wrote about the double standard in an email to Liow’s personal account on Aug 14, 2010, with copies to the Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Sidek Hassan and deputy ministers SK Devamany and A Kohilan Pillay. None of them responded, he added.

Dr Subendran forwarded a copy of the email to FMT. In it, he pointed out a 2007 news report about an education consultant explaining that the Sijil Peperiksaan Malaysia was adequate as an entry requirement into Egyptian medical programmes.

“So, it is crystal clear that MMC implements different sets of rules for Malays and non-Malays,” he said.

“But, the question now is, why is Liow pretending to be in the dark when he has solid evidence about the double standard?

“It seems to me that he is forced to lie to the media to save BN’s reputation as it heads for the general election.”