MMA urges halt to Poisons (Amendment) Bill, wants govt to engage healthcare stakeholders
Its president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira ( pic ) said the association, along with other medical professional bodies, was deeply concerned that the Bill was tabled without prior consultation with key stakeholders, including the MMA itself.
'We acknowledge the government's intention to strengthen enforcement, possibly in response to serious cross-border threats such as drug smuggling or maritime trafficking.
'However, if this is indeed the rationale, it must be clearly stated and the scope of the amendments appropriately defined in the legislation,' he said in a statement on Friday (July 25) night.
Dr Kalwinder said the language of the Bill was overly broad and raised red flags regarding enforcement powers and the implications for private healthcare services.
He pointed specifically to Clause 2, which designates all police officers as authorised officers under the Act, and the proposed Section 31A, which grants the Health Minister power to appoint 'any person' without specifying qualifications.
'These provisions raise serious concerns about unchecked enforcement authority and the potential disruption to legitimate private healthcare services, such as GP clinics, mobile services and charity-based health initiatives,' he said.
He added that the MMA also took issue with the expanded definition of 'premises' in the Bill, saying it could group licensed medical facilities together with non-healthcare-related or even criminal operations under the same enforcement scope.
'This risks not only operational disruption, but also potential violations of patient confidentiality and public trust,' Dr Kalwinder said.
He added that the absence of engagement with the medical fraternity represented a major procedural lapse, especially since the proposed changes would significantly impact the daily operations of thousands of healthcare practitioners nationwide.
'These are not peripheral changes,' he said, adding that the Health Ministry and MPs delay any further readings of the Bill until a comprehensive consultation is held with the medical profession.
Dr Kalwinder said the Act must make a clear distinction between enforcement aimed at criminal activity and regulation of clinical practice.
He noted that private healthcare providers are already regulated under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586), with oversight from the Health Ministry.
'This arrangement should remain as it is,' he said, warning against overlapping or excessive enforcement that could disrupt healthcare delivery.
Dr Kalwinder reiterated that the MMA stands ready to engage in constructive dialogue to ensure public safety is upheld without compromising the integrity and autonomy of the medical profession.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
38 minutes ago
- The Star
More bite against poison through enhanced enforcement
PETALING JAYA: The broader enforcement powers under the amended Poisons Act (Act 366) will enable effective enforcement against offences related to the misuse of poisons and psychotropic substances, say two ministries. The Health and Home ministries said under the amendment, which was passed in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday, all police officers, regardless of rank, and those appointed by the Health Ministry would be given enforcement powers to handle poisons, including drugs and psychotropic substances. Under the existing Act, enforcement powers were limited to drug enforcement officers, including pharmacists, police officers with the rank of inspector and above, and senior Customs officers. Act 366 governs the aspects of the use, possession and distribution of poisons and psychotropic substances in Malaysia. 'This amendment aims to increase the effectiveness of enforcement against offences of misuse of poisons and psychotropic substances as well as to ensure actions that are faster, comprehensive and more responsive in addressing threats to public health and national security,' they said in a joint statement yesterday. The ministries noted that patrolling and inspection were usually carried out by lower-ranking police officers such as constables and corporals. 'Therefore, the expansion of powers of the police force regardless of rank will enhance the efficiency and reach of enforcement operations. 'In addition, there are areas that do not have the permanent presence of authorised officers under this Act. 'To close this gap, the law also provides power to the Health Minister to appoint other officers, subject to terms and conditions, to assist in the enforcement when necessary,' they said. The ministries said the amendment showed the government's continuous commitment, especially the Health Ministry, to address the misuse of controlled substances through a stronger, more inclusive, and more comprehensive enforcement approach. 'It is also in line with the aspirations of Madani values, namely sustainability and well-being – in order to protect the well-being of the people and the security of the nation,' they said. The Bill was passed by a voice vote after being debated by 12 MPs from both the government and opposition blocs. The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) recently voiced strong concern about the amendment and urged the government to halt its progress in Parliament until proper engagement was conducted with stakeholders in the healthcare sector. Its president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said the association and other medical professional bodies were deeply concerned that the Bill was tabled without prior consultation with key stakeholders, including the MMA. Dr Kalwinder said the language of the Bill was overly broad and raised red flags regarding enforcement powers and the implications for private healthcare services. He pointed specifically to Clause 2, which designates all police officers as authorised officers under the Act, and the proposed Section 31A, which grants the Health Minister power to appoint 'any person' without specifying qualifications.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Doctors fight medicine price rule
Market imbalance: Doctors say unfair pharma competition harms clinics. PETALING JAYA: The medicine price display rule has been challenged in court by several doctors who want the order to be quashed. The doctors filed for a judicial review, saying the rule hurts small clinics and was introduced without proper consultation. They want the rule, which took effect on May 1, to be revoked. The lawsuit named the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister, Health Minister and the Federal Government as the first, second and third respondents, respectively. The applicants are the Association of Private Practitioners, Sabah (APPS), the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), the Malaysian Association for the Advancement of Functional and Interdisciplinary Medicine (Maafim), the Organisation of Malaysian Muslim Doctors (Perdim), the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners Associations Malaysia (FPMPAM), the Malaysian Private Dental Practitioners' Association (MPDPA), the Society of Private Medical Practitioners Sarawak (SPMPS), and one Dr Saifulbahri Ahmad. The lawsuit was in relation to the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Price Marking for Drug) Order 2025, which came into effect on May 1. The medical practitioners are seeking an order of certiorari to quash the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry's Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Price Making for Drug) Order 2025 (ministry's order). According to the statement of claim of the suit filed on July 24, they are also seeking a declaration that the ministry's order was void and tainted with illegality, irrationality, unreasonableness, disproportionality and impropriety. They asked that the enforcement of the ministry's order 'insofar as its application to private healthcare facilities and/or registered medical practitioners and dentists' be stayed until the judicial review case is over. Among the grounds for the judicial review is the failure of the government to recognise the difference between drugs sold in retail and drugs administered for treatment purposes. It added that the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister had breached principles of natural justice by arriving at the decision without consulting registered medical practitioners represented by the MMA. They said that while the purpose of the regulation was to curb profiteering activities, it has created unwarranted competition among providers of drugs, with the singular denominator purely being the price of drugs. 'This means even small-scale community clinics operated by general practitioners (GPs) and specialists have to now compete with large-scale drug retailers, for example, international chain pharmacies who already enjoy a larger market control and the ability to gain further control of retail customers by selling drugs at a much lower price,' they said. They added that small-scale community clinics would be at a disadvantage if forced to enter into an unwarranted competition with large-scale pharmaceutical companies. They said drug prices in clinics are determined by variables such as manufacturers; freight charges; export or import duties; importers; distributors; volume purchased; location of the clinics; different formulations of the same product; provisions for wastage of expired unused drugs; and staff and administrative expenses. The price display rule was met with much resistance by private healthcare practitioners. A three-month grace period from May 1 has also been given, where no compounds would be issued and the government would instead focus on advocacy and education. According to the court's website, the suit is set for case management at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Aug 22.
Free Malaysia Today
8 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Federal debt at RM1.3tril as of end-June
Deputy finance minister Lim Hui Ying said the government remains committed to achieving a fiscal deficit target of below 3% of the GDP, and keeping the debt-to-GDP ratio under 60% in the medium-term. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia's federal debt rose to RM1.3 trillion at the end of June, largely driven by continued fiscal deficits to fund public development spending, says deputy finance minister Lim Hui Ying. Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat today, Lim said the increase from RM1.25 trillion at the end of last year was to support strategic development expenditure, including infrastructure, education, healthcare, and social protection programmes. She said the fiscal deficit reduced from 5.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022 to 4.1% last year, and is projected to fall further to 3.8% in 2025. Debt growth is also slowing, from 10.2% in 2022 to 6.4% in 2024, with a further drop to around 6% projected for 2025. 'This is in line with the government's commitment to achieving a fiscal deficit target of below 3% of GDP, and keeping the debt-to-GDP ratio under 60% in the medium-term, as provided under the Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Act,' Lim said in response to a question from Ngeh Koo Ham (PH-Beruas) during an oral question-and-answer session. Lim also outlined several control measures to curb debt growth, including broadening revenue base, rationalising subsidies, and enforcing strict guidelines for government guarantees and public-private partnerships. She said future borrowings would also be limited to high-impact development projects, while government guarantees would be capped at 25% of the GDP under the Public Finance and Fiscal Responsibility Act. To strengthen governance, enhance accountability, and improve institutional efficiency, the government is in the process of drafting the Government Procurement Bill and another bill to regulate state-owned enterprises, she added. BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, previously reported that Malaysia would likely miss its fiscal deficit target this year, as spending was seen exceeding projections and revenue might fall. Separately, Lim said household debt in Malaysia stood at RM1.65 trillion as at the end of March 2025, or 84.3% of the GDP. She said this should be viewed in the context of household financial assets remaining significantly higher than the total debt, indicating that the public's overall financial position remained strong. 'On aggregate, household financial assets continue to exceed debt by 2.1 times, providing a solid buffer for households,' she said in response to Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang), who inquired about the debt-to-GDP ratio. She added that the government and Bank Negara Malaysia remained committed to assisting credit users who faced financial difficulties.
