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MDA Message History
Message From President MDA 2019/21 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019 by Dr Leong Kei Joe
Publish Date: 16/04/2020

Message From President MDA 2019/21

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019

Dr Leong Kei Joe

Date 20.12.2019

Dear beloved members and colleagues,

Dear beloved members and colleagues,

Season’s Greetings from Malaysian Dental Association. The council has already entered into its 6 months of service and I wish to thank the whole council for your selfless contribution to the beloved association and also the all members for your support. Truly, within such a short tenure of 6 months, the association is tasked with a humongous TO – DO list that has yet to be completed. As we are reading this message, some of our members are kept busy during this time of the year preparing for events and projects for 2020. On this note, allow me to take this opportunity to brief to you all some of the meetings / activities that the councilmembers were involved recently:

Dr Leong Kei Joe
  • Meeting between MDA and College of Dental Specialist Academy of Medicine Malaysia on 20th October 2019 to discuss on a joint launching of 2nd Joint Specialist Conference 2020 and World Oral Health Day (WOHD) 2020. This collaboration will truly be in line with the WOHD 2020 theme “UNITE FOR MOUTH HEALTH”.
  • Courtesy visit to Principal Director of Oral Health, Dr Doreyat bin Jemun, at Putrajaya on the 21st October 2019. In this meeting both MDA and Oral Health Program agreed that the moratorium on the number of local dental undergraduates and dental schools need to be maintained. Other matters discussed were on the preparation for the MDA Scientific Convention and Trade Exhibition (SCATE) 2020, World Oral Health Day (WOHD) 2020 and the need for a town-hall meet with Cawangan Kawalan Amalan Perubatan Swasta (CKAPS) Kementarian Kesihatan Malaysia, Oral Health Program and Bahagian Kawalselia Radiasi Perubatan Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia. Letter for courtesy visit to CKAPS to discuss issues relating to PHFSA Regulation 2006 has been sent by the MDA Private Practitioners Section recently.
  • National Oral Health Plan 2021 – 2030 workshop from 12th – 14th November 2019. This was attended by Dr Ng Woan Tyng, Dr Zeo Lee, Dr Goh Seong Ling and Kolonel Dr Hazudin.
  • Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) SCHOMOS Press conference on issues pertaining to Medical Officers’ employment into public service. Dr Rasidah Ayob representing MDA SCODOS was also present to support and witness the press conference on the 13th November 2019. The following day, 14th November 2019, a press interview was also conducted with MDA SCODOS, represented by Dr Muhammad Farid bin Nurdin. The interview was on the issue of employment of dental officers into public service and the increase of new dental graduates in the country.
  • One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Seminar dan Pelancaran Laporan Tricycle Project sempena sambutan World Antibiotic Awareness week 2019 at Institut Kesihatan Negara on the 14th November 2019. MDA was represented by Dr Ng Woan Tyng.

35th Years Anniversary of Ho Chi Minh City Odonto Stomatological Association (1984-2019) and the 10th Dental Conference of Ho Chi Minh City Odonto Stomatological Association (HOSA) held on 14th – 15th November 2019 at Windsor Plaza hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vienam. The MDA President and President Elect, Dr. Lim Chiew Wooi, were invited as VIP guests to this annual conference in Vietnam. MDA supported this conference by sending 2 speakers, Dr. Mohd Muzafar Hamirudin, who spoke on the area of Prosthodontic and the MDA President himself who spoke on the area of Paediatric Dentistry.

  • 130th Malaysian Dental Council meeting on the 15th November 2019. In this meeting, MDA President informed the council members on the concern related to the upcoming trend of “DO IT YOURSELF” dental “treatment”, where consumers are able to purchase such service through online without the need to see a dental practitioner first. It has also come to the attention of MDA that consumers are called to take their own dental impression at home and if required some dental practitioners were called to assist in taking impression or radiographs on behalf of the provider. MDA views this matter seriously, firstly for the safety of the consumer and secondly on the medico-legal aspect of the involved dental practitioners, and thus, a cautionary advice has been issued to all members. During the upcoming 27th MDA SCATE 2020, MDA will be organising a National Dental Associations Presidents’ Forum where Presidents from different countries will share experiences and comments on this issue.
  • Meeting held by the Director General of Health Malaysia and Director General of Education Malaysia with all stakeholders on the 27th November 2019 at Putrajaya. In this meeting, it was generally agreed that the moratorium need to be maintain. MDA also expressed that there is a need to have more contract dental practitioners under the New Dental Officers Program to be absorbed into public service as permanent dental officers to overcome inequality of distribution of dental practitioners especially in Sabah and Sarawak. This meeting was attended by the President of MDA, Chairman of MDA PPS (Dr Neoh Ein Yau) and representative of MDA SCODOS (Dr Lee Chee Wei).
  • Malaysian Dental Council inquiry meeting on the 10th December 2019 at Cyberjaya.

Meeting with Professor Jenny Gallagher, Dean of International Affairs from King’s College London at Boulevard Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on the 16th December 2019 to explore possibility of having overseas courses conducted in Malaysia. The President of MDA personally expressed that there is a true need for more postgraduate training opportunities in Malaysia. These training should be made available to all dental practitioners, both public and private sector, and need to be affordable. Post graduate training could be look at as not only a self – upgrading opportunity, but also as a business investment, upgrading of services and also exchange of expertise between two countries.

  • The 1st committee meeting for opening ceremony of 2nd Joint Specialist Conference 2020 and launching of WOHD 2020 was held on the 16th December 2019. The venue of the event will be at Wisma Perwira and the Guest of Honour will be His Royal Highness Sultan of Perak.

Throughout these last two months of year 2019, MDA has also prepared a few press release namely that concerning the tabling of the amended Poison Bill 2019. For this matter, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and MDA, together with other stakeholders had a meeting recently on the 8th December 2019 to discuss on the common stand on some of the sections in the Bill. The other press release prepared was that on deregulating of consultation fees in the private clinics. Although MDA hails the Ministry for this move, MDA wishes to have the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act to be relooked and revamped in the future.

On the international arena, the first joint cross-border Community Social Responsibility (CSR) project involving both members of Malaysian Dental Association and Myanmar Dental Association in Yangoon will be held on the 9th February 2020. Invitation for volunteers have been made and preparations are in progress.

I will like to end my message here to urge all members and colleagues to register for the upcoming 27th MDA SCATE 2020 as this will be another exciting and informative scientific meeting not to be missed. Till we meet again, I wish all members and colleagues a Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year.

Yours,

Kei Joe LEONG