KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad announced proposed amendments to the Medical Act 1971 (Act 50) to address the registration issues faced by medical doctors obtaining specialist qualifications through the parallel pathway. This move, aimed at streamlining the recognition and registration of medical specialists, was submitted to the Cabinet by Dzulkefly and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir.
The Cabinet has agreed in principle, and the Bill is set to be presented at the upcoming parliamentary session later this year. The amendments will allow for a more systematic implementation of specialist training pathways in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and local higher education institutions. This initiative aims to meet the growing demand for specialist services across the country. Dzulkefly assured that upon implementation, doctors completing these programmes will be eligible for registration in the National Specialist Register (NSR), ensuring quality training, practitioner competency, and patient safety.
The issue gained prominence following the Malaysian Medical Association’s request for Universiti Teknologi MARA to allow non-Bumiputera medical officers into specialized cardiothoracic training, following the rejection of NSR applications for four surgeons with unrecognized foreign qualifications.
