The World Health Organisation acknowledges that there is significant and increasing demand for
Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) practices and practitioners worldwide.
The Ministry of Health Malaysia hasalways been aware of the importance of TCM in Malaysia from the
health care, economic and socio-cultural perspectives.
The Ministry advocates TCM as a
complement to modern medicine
and strives to not only make safe
and quality TCM services accessibleto the public, but by integrating
them into the national health care
system with the aim of achieving
holistic health care for all
Malaysians.
Registration of TCM pharmaceutical products by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency
commenced in 1992, and in 2004, the Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) Division of
the Ministry was set up to look into the regulation of TCM practices and practitioners.
The Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) Act 2016 (Act 775) which governs TCM
practice and practitioners in Malaysia, was gazetted on 10 March 2016 and enforced on 1 August
2016.
Malaysia is one of the very few countries to regulate diverse practices and practitioners of TCM. The enforcement of the Act will be conducted in phases.
The Ministry has embarked on Phase 1 of the Act enforcement whereby the TCM Council has been
formed and is currently making the necessary preparations for the enforcement of Phase 2 which will include registration of TCM practitioners as well as disciplinary proceedings.
The final phase will entail full enforcement of the Act including the Sections pertaining to
enforcement related activities. There are also at present seven recognised TCM practice areas and six designated practitioner bodies to represent these practice areas in the Council.
The Ministry is keen for the practice of medicine and health related professions in this country to be
evidence-based.
The Ministry takes note that there has been research conducted in the field of TCM, especially in the countries of origin of recognised practice areas such as Chinese medicine, Indian medicine and
chiropractic.
The Ministry supports endeavours by local researchers from the public and private sectors to
undertake further research into TCM practices and products.
Section 3 of the Medicines (Advertisement & Sale) Act 1956 is very clear on the prohibition of
advertisements relating to certain diseases, and the relevant Schedule lists 20 of those diseases. This
also applies to those who practice TCM.
Section 29 of Act 775 stipulates that any title or abbreviation used by a registered TCM practitioner
should not cause the public to believe that the practitioner is qualified to practice medicine or surgery or dentistry as provided for by the legislation governing those professions.
The TCM Council shall specify a list of prohibited titles and abbreviations which will be published
once the relevant Section of Act 775 is enforced.
Punitive action can be taken on any practitioner who registers with the TCM Council and is found to have used any prohibited title or abbreviation.
/theSTAR 11-01-2019
About the Author
Many years in the Healthcare Industry, his extensive network and current active participations in various Projects with the Government and NGOs in policies formulation and input, development and implementation of strategies and action plans enable him to keep abreast with the changing, transforming roles and dynamism of the Industry and its ecosystem.
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