The association’s adviser, Dr Hu Chang Lek, said a statement by Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye recently had raised confusion.

‘’We want to ask Dr Lee (Boon Chye) why he stated in the newspaper recently that Bachelor degrees in dentistry from the institutions of learning (in question) have never been recognised (by the Malaysian government). Prior to this the government has given its recognition,’’ he told a media conference here today.

He said that the Public Services Department had stated in a letter dated 3 Feb 1996 that it had agreed to recognise the medical and dental qualifications from eight Taiwanese universities.

He said that the recognition was on the condition that the Bachelor degree dentistry graduates from the universities must sit for the National Licensing Examination handled by Taiwan and upon passing must serve the government for two years before being eligible for registration under the Dental Act 1991.

Another alumni president, Lawrence Ting Siew Haw of the Federation of Alumni Association of Taiwan Universities, Malaysia, said that the issue of recognition should not have arisen because it had long been agreed upon by the government.

He hoped that the government could tackle the issue to encourage Malaysian doctors who were educated and now working in Taiwan to return and serve in the country.

He said that many Malaysian doctors were prepared to return home to work in the country but the numerous obstacles resulted in them continuing to work in Taiwan or other countries.

He said that the association also urged the present government to gazette the Taiwanese universities’ bachelor degrees which had been given recognition prior to this to give the graduates the opportunity to serve in this country.