As a trained cardiologist, I am appalled with the allegation by a member of the kelantan technical committee member Azhar Abdullah that there is a group of doctors who is willing to amputate the limbs of convicted offenders under the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment (II) 1993 (Amended 2015), whereby they have suggested the amputations be performed under general anaesthesia so as to prevent excessive bleeding.

If these so-called medical specialists are indeed doctors and not quacks, they should come out openly and identify themselves. They should clarify to the media how such severing of limbs will be carried out, and after treatment care, if any.

Would it be in an operating theatre? Or will they practise the method adopted by Isil where there have been reported graphic videos of what I define as “live human butchers” who either saw, hack, chop off the wrist of the alleged convicted offender who writhed in pain before fainting.

Azhar claims that these doctors, “if they are given the mandate, …will choose to resign temporarily while they administer the punishment.” I am not toying with semantics here. If a doctor “resigns” ie QUITS his profession, this means he has given up his medical practice and is therefore no longer in a legal position to practise surgery or attend to patients.

He is definitely not legally entitled to break bones and sinews. (Surgeons as a last resort after all treatments fail, may operate to amputate a limb of a patient affected with severe gangrene to prevent the disease from spreading to other parts of the body.)

Not only will the said doctor be struck off from the Malaysian Medical Association which has already declared that it will disqualify surgeons who carry out unethical amputations on criminals convicted under hudud in Kelantan, such behaviour can be categorised as “aggravated assault” and later “murder” - offences under the Penal Code if the victim dies from excessive bleeding.

No doctor should exploit any state enactment to pull out their registration with MMA to conduct amputation in whatever form, and then easily apply without a conscience to be re-registered after destroying a future.

The primary role of doctors is to save lives and advance health care. Medical science has developed and improved through the course of centuries. Likewise, reform of convicted criminals should too.

MAH HANG SOON is a MCA central committee member and Perak state MCA liaison committee chairperson.