PETALING JAYA: The government has for the first time recognised genetic pathologists as specialists following the amendment to the Medical Act 1971.
Genetic pathologists study gene changes to help find rare disorders and advise on care.
Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the Malaysian Medical Council registered the new specialists in November following the recognition of Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Master of Pathology (Medical Genetics) programme under the Act.
“This marks yet another important milestone in our reform journey, ending a long‑standing legal dispute and providing clarity for our graduates, universities, and the healthcare system at large,” he said in a statement today.
Dzulkefly said the change shows the amended Medical Act “is now working for all”, and not just for those in the ministry’s parallel pathway programme.
“This explicit legal regularisation has ensured that both the parallel pathway programmes and the master’s programmes conducted in public hospitals are fully in order from the legal perspective.
“As minister, I am encouraged to see that efforts are already underway to align the implementation of these programmes with the Specialty Specific Requirements (SSR) set by the MMC,” he said.
In August, it was reported that MMC registered five cardiothoracic surgeons as specialists with the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Cardiothoracic Surgery qualification.
All five cardiothoracic surgeons were reported to be serving at Penang Hospital and the National Heart Institute.
Dzulkefly said these reforms are fully aligned with the Malaysia Health White Paper, passed by Parliament in June 2023.
The white paper sets out a 15‑year roadmap to strengthen our healthcare system, with one of its pillars focusing on governance, legislation, and workforce sustainability.
“By regularising specialist registration and enhancing processes related to specialist recognition and training, we are delivering on the document’s vision of a transparent, accountable, and future‑ready health system,” he said.
