PETALING JAYA: Effective Tuesday (July 1), the enforcement of the Medical Regulations (Amendment) 2025 and the Medical (Amendment) Act 2024 [Act A1729] has officially commenced.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad stated that this significant achievement is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen governance, transparency, and inclusiveness in the country’s medical profession.
"The amendment to the Medical Regulations provides the necessary legal framework to implement the provisions of the amended Act. It creates a clear and consistent path for the recognition and registration of specialists trained through the Parallel Pathway programme and local specialist training.
"The amendment clarifies the role and responsibilities of the Malaysian Medical Council (MPM) in ensuring that all practitioners with certain qualifications are assessed fairly and transparently," he said in a statement.
He also noted that the structure and membership of the MPM have been strengthened to be more equitable in terms of its composition, in accordance with the current status of the health workforce, particularly in the public sector.
Additionally, the amendment provides a strong legal basis for all local specialist training programmes to ensure they are recognised and administered more systematically. This, Dzulkefly pointed out, would enable specialists who were previously in limbo to be assessed and registered, thereby serving the people better.
Apart from that, the amendment would increase access to high-quality specialist care and strengthen public confidence as all specialists serving in the health system are assessed against consistent standards of competence regardless of their training pathway.
"The ministry’s management and I will continue to engage with stakeholders, empower innovation, and implement reforms that ensure our health system remains resilient, inclusive, and future-proof," he said.
In light of this, Dzulkefly expressed appreciation to the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia (AMM), Malaysian Association for Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery (MATCVS), National Council of Professors (MPN), Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), training institutions, legal experts, and policy-making partners who have contributed to this important reform.
