KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has received more than 300 complaints on complications from aesthetic procedures done at unregistered beauty premises since 2023.
In a parliamentary written reply dated Nov 4, the ministry said 306 cases were reported through the Public Complaints Management System (SISPAA) last year.
Similarly, another 46 cases were reported this year.
It added that plastic surgery specialists at government hospitals had treated 74 patients for complications arising from aesthetic treatment.
These patients had undergone their aesthetic procedures at unregistered premises.
“There is a huge possibility that the statistics on complaints and rehabilitation treatment may not reflect the actual situation of such cases as this data does not include cases of rehabilitation at private hospitals.
"There are many victims who are not willing to come forward to lodge a complaint,” the ministry said.
The ministry said beauty parlours are not allowed to conduct surgeries and invasive aesthetic procedures.
“Invasive aesthetic procedures can only be conducted at premises which are registered and licensed under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586),” it said.
Invasive aesthetic procedures can only be conducted by registered medical practitioners with the Letter of Credentialing and Privileging (LCP).
Invasive aesthetic procedures conducted at beauty parlours are liable under Act 586.
The ministry was responding to a question by Teresa Kok (PH-Seputeh) on the statistics of botched plastic surgeries and whether the ministry would release a guideline requiring beauty parlours conducting aesthetic procedures to be registered with the ministry to protect consumers.
The Star previously reported that more than 700 cases of botched cosmetic procedures had been reported between 2016 and last year.
In August last year, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) called for stricter regulations and enforcement of the beauty and aesthetics industry following an incident in Johor where a housewife died after an alleged breast enhancement procedure gone wrong.
