In a press statement yesterday, the office of Deputy Health Minister Dr Hilmi Yahaya said it had never supported or compromised with individuals who violated the law. The statement was issued by his private secretary Aziaan Ariffin.
Nur Farahanis Ezatty Adli, 20, was found guilty on Sept 29 by the Sessions Court in Melaka of running an unregistered private dental clinic.
According to a NST report she had claimed in an Instagram post that her “business” had been approved by the health ministry. She had also thanked Dr Hilmi and Aziaan for their support.
She was released from prison after serving six days out of her six-month jail sentence for failing to pay the court fine after the Malaysian Muslim Consumers’ Association (PPIM) and Malaysia Islamic Economic Activist Organisation (PPEM) raised funds for her.
According to a report in TheSun, Malaysian Association of Orthodontists (MAO) president Dr Noraini Alwi blasted the two NGOs. She said it sent the wrong message to the public.
She said a recent statement by PPIM lead activist Nadzim Johan also implied that it was acceptable for dental services to by carried out by anyone, although they “only learnt through YouTube”.
TheSun reported that Nur Farahanis, a vocational college graduate, had apparently learnt her “dentistry skills” via YouTube.
Dr Noraini was quoted as saying: “We would like to caution the public that such is not the case. Those who do so are irresponsible people who are obviously only seeking commercial gain.
“If care is not taken in the diagnosis, treatment planning and case management of any orthodontic case, the patient may suffer dire consequences which may be irreversible.”
The report also quoted emergency medical specialist Dr Abdul Rahman Abdul Kadir as saying in a Facebook post that he was disappointed and ashamed by PPIM’s action to help raise funds for Nur Farahanis’ release.
“These (dental) treatments can only be carried out by trained and specialised dental practitioners, and not someone who learnt it from YouTube.
“Consumers’ associations are supposed to defend consumers. She (Nur Farahanis) had clearly breached the law and had been sentenced by a court. What kind of message is PPIM trying to send?” he asked in his post.
Lawyers for Liberty’s Latheefa Koya was quoted as saying PPIM, being a consumers’ association, should be fighting for the consumers and not those who cheated them.
“What’s the actual agenda of PPIM’s existence? If they really want to help those who are victimised, why don’t they care about single mothers who were sent to prison for months for stealing because they are poor?” she asked.
While most people have criticised the NGOs, Sultan Idris Education University student counsellor Dr Fauziah Mohd Saad defended their action, saying they might have only wanted to “save a young lady from being destroyed”.
TheSun report said it was unable to contact Nadzim or other PPIM officials at press time.