The Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) has clarified that medical graduates are allowed to use the title “doctor” to reflect their academic qualifications, even if they are not registered as medical practitioners in Malaysia.
The statement came amid public queries over newly-appointed Youth and Sports Minister Dr Taufiq Johari, whose name does not appear in the MMC’s registered practitioners database.
“Graduates of a medical degree programme can use the title ‘doctor’ to reflect their academic qualifications. However, this does not grant them the right to practise medicine in Malaysia,” the MMC said. Permission to practise is governed by the Medical Act 1971 and related regulations.
The council further explained that medical graduates must pass the requisite medical exams and complete housemanship in recognized hospitals before they can register and obtain a valid annual practising certificate.
Taufiq, the Sungai Petani MP and son of Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul, holds a medical degree from Bandung Islamic University. According to his 2022 election biodata, he has previously worked in Indonesia as an emergency department doctor at Hospital Dr Slamet Garut, an intern at Hospital Al-Ihsan, and as a general practitioner at Klinik Dr Hadi.
