I have been following the entire ‘racist Chinese doctors’ issue since it was first raised.

Initially, I was disinterested because it was a spat between Pinang Tunggal assemblyperson Roslan Saidin and the Penang state exco member for health, Dr Afif Bahardin.

It is easy for people to accuse me of playing a racial game since this is a spat between a Malay and a Malay over a few ‘racist’ doctors. However, I feel it is time that something has to be said about Umno Baru’s frequent attempts at playing the race card.

Just because the doctors happen to be Chinese, and the victims are Malays, Roslan is making a big issue out of a molehill and trying to hit out during the Penang state assembly. In the first place, doctors do not come under the state bssembly or the state exco member for health, but Dr Afif is being fair to speak up for those who were not allowed to speak to the media.

I am not saying that the doctors are at fault, neither am I saying that they deserve to be censured. The circumstances may be different in all three cases but doctors (and even nurses) working under pressure, could react when patients are being inconsiderate or abusive themselves. If the doctor thinks that the patient is hard of hearing, he may have to raise his voice.

Some doctors are also very impatient especially when they have many patients to attend to. It has happened to me when my wife and I took our son to a nearby children’s clinic. After the consultation, where the doctor only talked (“rubbish” in my opinion) more than checking my son’s physical condition, we came out of the room.

We love doctors who talk, because there is so much we need to learn from them, but in this case, if you had asked or interfered with a question, he would immediately snap at you.

It was when we were about to pay for the fees, then we realised that he had not checked my son’s temperature. When we asked, he immediately answered abrubtly from his room, shouting: “Already checked. His temperature is okay!” No fever medicine was therefore prescribed.

I was surprised, because no one had even put a thermometer to my son’s forehead or armpit, and we left the clinic. That night, his temperature shot to 40 degrees C and we had to rush him to the hospital.

This is supposed to be a Chinese doctor, and my family and I are also Chinese. I wonder if it had happened to Roslan Saidin and his son, would he bring this matter up to show there is racial discrimination by the doctor?

It is entirely up to Roslan, but the world can judge whether the issue is racial in nature or just the behaviour of the doctors who either need counseling or a reprimand. Therefore, Roslan, please stop the spat and playing the race card, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. I am surprised that you are still barking up the wrong tree after you were told that you were wrong and the complaint should be raised with the Health Ministry.

Just as this fiasco erupted, I was introduced to a Malay geriatrician at University Hospital. When my wife and I took my father-in-law there to see her for the first time, I must say both of us were very impressed with Professor Dr Shahrul Bahiyah Kamaruzzaman. She was very thorough, and took time to explain things to the carers. My father-in-law was not her only patient; we were also being counseled on how to handle our stress.

This is what a good doctor is! She is like an extended family member.

I have also known Dr Tunku Nor Taayah Zubir, who used to check some disabled friends of mine. She is Malay and my wheelchair friends are Chinese, who could hardly speak much English or Malay, yet Dr Nor Taayah made attempts to speak a few Chinese words to link up with her patients in order to build a doctor-patient relationship. Ask any of the wheelchair-bound people around, and you will find her name being mentioned fondly.

So, what’s the big deal of trying to prove to the world that the victims were Malays and the doctors were Chinese? Roslan should look at the issue as cases of perhaps ill-treatment or poor patient management skills by certain doctors, rather than playing up the racial card.