The ASEAN MRA for medical practitioners, signed in August 2008 will be effective 1st January 2010. To create awareness and allow a platform for clarifications and queries, the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia and the MMA organised a forum for the 16 Aug 2009 morning. The speakers were Dr Nik Shamsidah Nik Ibrahim, Bahagian Amalan Perubatan, Ministry of Health of Malaysia (MOH) – Terms & Conditions of the ASEAN MRA for Medical Practitioners and Preparations Made by the MOH; Mr Fabian Bigar, Bahagian Dasar & Hubungan Antarabangsa, MOH – GATS, ASEAN (AFAS) and Bilateral FTA – commitments for hospital and medical specialties; Datuk Dr Megat Burhanuddin, Malaysian Medical Council – Registration of Non-Malaysian Doctors in Malaysia – Role of the MMC and Dr Chong Su Lin, Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia – ASEAN MRA for Medical Practitioners: Implications for Private Hospitals. This was followed by a round table discussion comprising of the Chair- Datuk Dr N. Arumugam; Panellists Dr David Quek (Malaysian Medical Association), Prof Dr Victor Lim (Academy of Medicine of Malaysia), Dato’ Dr Mohan Singh (Private Practitioners Section, MMA) and Dr Steven Chow, Federation of Private Practitioners Association, Malaysia.

This whole morning forum was held at the Lecture Hall of the new Academies Building in Jalan Tun Razak. Lunch ensued after the forum and the Academy of Medicine, for the first time, held its AGM at the new building, at 1 pm.

About the AFTA-MRA
AFTA-MRA will be effective 1st Jan 2010. It was signed by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in August 2008 together with counterpart Ministers from other ASEAN countries as part of the continuing liberalisation process within our region.

The MRA objectives are:

• Facilitate mobility of medical practitioners within ASEAN

• Exchange information and enhance cooperation in respect of mutual recognition of medical practitioners

• Promote adoption of best practices on standards and qualifications

• Provide opportunities for capacity building and training of medical practitioners