Thursday, March 07, 2024

Honours to stiffle M'sian Medical Specialist programs

NST: Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh honours health D-G for contributions to surgery

The first posting entitled "FRCS medical training scam?" dated February 14th attracted cynical and criticism comments. 

Most important, more feedback came this way. One is this Facebook status dated February 3, 2018 in which former Director General of the Ministry of Health, Tan Sri Noor Hisham Abdullah received Fellowship Ad Homimem from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd). However, that status is no where to be seen and was removed from his Facebook. 

Apparently a month earlier on January 17th, 2018, there was a launching ceremony for the RCSEd International Office at UKM for the FRCS International program allegedly referred as "scam" program not accredited by the Malaysian Medical Council but pressure is being applied to accredit the inadequate surgery training program. 

When asked by a commentator whether FRCS can now be done in Malaysia, Noor Hisham proudly gave the affirmative and claimed it has been going on since 2016. 

On May 29th 2022, he jubilantly published the successful 8 trainees that passed the Joint Specialty Fellowship Program for Cardiothoracic Surgery. An effort from the Edinburgh accredition visit on June 27th 2015.  To the horror of the trainees, the program was inadequate and rejected by MMC. 

It explains the frantic pressure applied on Minister for MOH by The Malaysian Association for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (MATCVS), Malaysian Urological Association, Academy of Medicine, and other NGOs. All seemed many but are the same group of people with personal vested interest.  

Friday, February 16, 2024

MATVS "illegal" medical specialist program challenged

Reported in the Malay Mail Online yesterday of Medical Specialist questioning a program run by a Medical NGO as sub-standard and demeaning local Med School programs. 

The report in full below: 

Members challenge association for thoracic and cardiovascular surgery for putting its training on par with IJN courses

By Anis Zalani

Thursday, 15 Feb 2024 5:14 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 — A group of concerned members have disputed the Malaysian Association for Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery’s (MATCVS) assertion about the quality of its certification, accusing the group of implying this was possibly superior to those offered by local institutions such as Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and the National Heart Institute (IJN).

Wednesday, February 07, 2024

Najib's last chance

The official communique from UMNO is they respect the decision of YDPA and will continue with effort to seek for Najib's release. If it is any consolation, Shad wrote below: 

In accordance with the Board’s order, Najib can be released from custody on Aug 23, 2028. However, there are several variable and unpredictable factors.

First, there is no bar to repeated acts of clemency. In due course of time, he may receive another remission to hasten his release.

Second, under Section 43 of the Prisons Regulations 2000, a prisoner sentenced to a term of imprisonment exceeding one month may be granted remission of one-third of his sentence for good behaviour. However, this is subject to the terms of an order of the Pardons Board, and that order is to release him on Aug 23, 2028. So, the one-third remission rule cannot apply to Najib.

Third, under Section 46A of the Prisons Act, there are complicated rules about parole. A prisoner may be released to serve any part of his sentence outside the prison pursuant to a Parole Order.

Fourth, as there is no bar to repeated acts of clemency, Najib could be gifted with another act of clemency and given a full pardon, which would wipe away the conviction and all disabilities.

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Sanusi's explanation on Kedah FA confusing

Another interpretation of Sanusi's explanation raised suspicion of corruption and abuse of power similar to the case against Muhyiddin involving Bokhary Equities donation to PPBM, as below:

Adding to the confusion is the bit about Tulangi requesting the return of RM1.3 million instead of the whole RM5 million. 

Some details would be nice because apparently a reliable source said there was no flow of money into KFA account to show the donated money went to KFA. This contradict Sanusi's claim the money is all in the account. 

Sanusi mentioned in his press statement about the RM5 million received was to pay debt. So which is which: 

Money in the KFA account used to pay debt or KFA could only afford to repay RM1.3 million because money never went into the account? 

Thursday, December 28, 2023

What good is there to support Mahathir and Daim?

Tun Dr Mahathir is visually and vocally active again advocating to topple yet another government not to his preference for reasons obvious to all and many. 

Mahathir met Isham Jalil few weeks ago and likely to have recruited him into his fold since Isham was caught in discussion publicly with his henchman Khairuddin Abu Hasan and admitted to have met him several times. 

His criticism of UMNO was in unison with Mahathir and certain PAS leader. However, the go-between man between him and Mahathir is someone else. 

The latest development surrounding Isham gives the impression Najib is cooperating with Mahathir, but that is affirmatively not true and in contradiction. 

It is also not true the Mahathir's claim that Najib was involved in the Sheraton Move to topple the Pakatan Harapan government he led and instilled Muhyiddin as Prime Minister. 

He made the claim in The Star interview last year October leading to GE15th in November. 

Friday, December 08, 2023

China's rating downgrade have impact on Malaysia


AP reported on Moddy's downgrade of China's debt yesterday here.

For Malaysia, the bilateral trade with China for 2022 is US$203.6 billon and a delicate situation arising from the semi-conductor boycott. May need to read Edge's June 2023 article:


According to a 2019 study, a 1% slowdown in the Chinese economy will translate to a fall by 0.11% of the Malaysian economy. 

Tengku Zafrul proudly announced recently FDI commitment of RM212 billion, in which the bulk of it, RM170 billion is from China. It will mean some of the commitment may not come to realisation just like what is happenned to Country Garden in Johor Baru. 

Friday, December 01, 2023

Declining productivity concern

An illustration of declining productivity 

This is not a new issue but had been left to prolong. SERC contributed an article to BERNAMA in 2020 here in view of the challenges to come from the pandemic. An updated view is the extract from Thick as a Brick's Declining Productivity: Worrisome economics beyond politics below: 

To ... appreciate the problem and able to understand the implication, the issue of declining productivity raised in the recent Keluar Sekejap interview with World Bank Chief Economist for Malaysia, Aporva Sanghi incapsulate the crossroad situation we are in.         


Aporva mentioned of the long term decline in productivity. Decline in investment at below 20% of GDP and the investment coming Malaysia's way lack quality.

One area in investment decline is education or in other words, human resource investment. He described and quantified Malaysia as facing learning poverty at 40%. There is lack of nutrition in school children,  in which we recalled the late Ungku Aziz (Al Fatihah) talking about kerangka minda decades ago. 

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