“The art of Malaysian ministerial evasion: It’s not the title Dr Taufiq Johari, it’s about honesty!”

 

SINCE his appointment to the Cabinet earlier this month, Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Taufiq Johari has faced sustained questions over whether he has over-stepped legal and ethical boundaries by presenting himself as a medical doctor, including the use of the “Dr” title.

On Monday (Dec 29), the 29-year-old who is currently the youngest minister in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Cabinet broke his silence on this issue by stating that the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) has set the record straight. That reply raises more questions than it answers.

Prior to his Cabinet appointment, Taufiq presented himself as a “doctor”. It clearly says so in his biodata prior to the last general election, including having been a general practitioner (GP) at a clinic in Sungai Petani in 2022.

At that time, his father Tan Sri Johari Abdul was the Sungai Petani MP, a post held since 2008. Taufiq “inherited” the sea by, winning it in the 2022 general election while his dad went on to become the Dewan Rakyat speaker.

The thing is, Taufiq is not really a medical doctor as far as Malaysian laws are concerned. He completed his medical degree from the Bandung Islamic University which the MMC does not recognise. Put another way, he’s not allowed to practice medicine in Malaysia.

As for the “Dr” title, the MMC has clarified that it can be used even if one is not registered to practise medicine. That clarification, however, dodges the more uncomfortable question: Was there an attempt by Taufiq to deceive?

PR stunt turns awry?

In Malaysia, doctors are generally trustworthy and respected. They carry moral authority. When a politician presents himself as a medical doctor, most Malaysians understand it as someone who treats patients, completed housemanship and is registered to practise. Pretending otherwise is disingenuous.

It does not stop there. Images from Taufiq’s own social media posts compiled by former Barisan Nasional (BN) strategic communication deputy director-turned- Madani critic Datuk Eric See-To showed him in clinical settings, examining patients.

Perhaps it was just a case of a medically-trained person taking blood pressure (which doesn’t require one to have a practising licence) for photo-op purposes.

But again, context matters. Posting such images reinforces a public impression. It tells voters, “I’m a doctor who serves the community”. If that impression is false or at least materially misleading, it raises serious ethical problems.

But more importantly, did Taufiq practice as GP in Sungai Petani in 2022? His GE15 election biodata clearly says so. If that is the case, there’s been a clear breach of the law.

Of course, Taufiq can now claim that the “erroneous” biodata was uploaded without his knowledge on an official PKR website. Even if it’s true, that would be seen as an afterthought although it beats a sitting minister facing the music from medical authorities.

So far, Taufiq has chosen to only skirt around the issue. When queried by the media, he simply pointed to the MMC’s statement and refused to elaborate. That is evasion.

This issue is not just about titles. It is about whether a minister was honest with voters or whether he knowingly leaned on an image that carries social prestige to gain trust and support.

As the Youth and Sports Minister, this standard of accountability is even more stringent with young Malaysians looking to Taufiq as a role model or to set the benchmark for moral standards.

And with the negative global publicity surrounding the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), the minister must be someone whose integrity is beyond question.

It is high time Taufiq set the record straight about this issue instead of being wishy-washy about it and risking it undermining his credibility – and that of the Madani administration.

Like how cancer spreads, it is better to remove a malignant tumour early than to risk one’s well-being and life over time. – Focus Malaysia