Whose Health any Government is protecting?

Man normally makes Laws to benefit vested interests – the interests of their supporters and constituents.

The enactment of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Act appears top fall into this category as i explore further into the Act where we had the briefing by officials of the Ministry Of health, Malaysia. Under the Acts eight bodies formed by the respective groups which had been lobbying for recognition by the Ministry for many years now. Eventually the Law constituted to regulate and recognize traditional Healers and complimentary medicine of Malaysia was passed by the Parliament. The Ministry of Health under this Law has decided to recognize only 8 bodies already instituted before the Law was even passed. An application by one body for Sarawak was turned down based on the concept of 1Malaysia and the need for all Traditional Healers and practitioners must register themselves under the 8 approved bodies. I walked out of that briefing telling them that the Law is GOOD FOR “MALAYA equals to Malaysia” but not Malaysia as it was formed. Furthermore those who briefed us that they are only implementers and was not ready to listen to suggestions as how make the Law more Malaysian. As usual, Malayan Civil Servants want to tell Sarawakians that only them are right so I walked out from the briefing as it would be a waste of my precious time on earth.

To-day we had a good discussion about the Act and one of us in the know confirmed that the Act was meant to meet the demands of those from the West and one Minister from MCA made the ruling for the Act to be done….Heaven helped us that after PRU13, Malaysian Chinese Association(MCA), a Chinese based political Party, a partner of the Natinoal Front, is no longer the Minister Of Health… No Malaysian should be made to resolve Malaya interests alone…. all Laws must incorporate the interests of Sabah and Sarawak as well.

Take this Act as a good example, 1Malaysia must not be the reason to ignore the diversity of Traditional Healing methods practiced in Sabah and Sarawak. The 8 bodies approved by the Ministry have no clue as to how Sarawakians and Sabahans have been able to survive using their Traditional knowledge of their Healers, their Priests and priestesses where none of three communities of the Malaya- the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians in Malaya could understand. And yet they want these Healers to register themselves under of the approved 8 bodies. Take the Bidayuh community which i am more familiar with right now, there is no way where any of the registered 8 bodies can give certificate to anyone at any price. Our Healers are recognized by the respective villagers themselves, but how can the Government say “yes” or “no ” to that community except a local body well equipped to know.

So whose health is the Malaysian Government going to protect by this Act? The consumers…they would know what they are paying for. Only the vested interests who want to control for reasons best known to themselves as Professor Dr. Wong did mentioned, “Why one of the Approved Body has the grandfather, the son and grandson in charge?’ but I stopped from saying more as the real issue here is a “political” decision made by an MCA Minister of Health for reasons best known to himself…. but will be good enough for Sarawak and Sabah Traditional Healers as a whole.