Medicine, like education, should not be a field where politicians can play around with unproven policies and concepts. Medicine should be treated with respect and care, and all medical treatment should be based o­n scientifically researched techniques and drugs, which have undergone rigorous testing and surveys. We cannot rely o­n traditional medication and other forms of supernatural healing process, where the o­nly proof of efficacy is in its subjective relief of symptoms.

Taking Paracetamol, traditional medication or herbal tea, can relieve a fever. But do we know what is the cause of the fever? We might be able to relieve the symptom but we have not found the root cause of the illness in the first place. It could be a virus infection or a bacterial infection. It could be a tumour or some inflammatory disease. And if the cause is not found and treated, the fever, and other symptoms might arise again.

In my opinion, traditional medicine is just a case of simply turning a blind eye to the root cause of health problems in our country. As health minister in a fairly advanced country like Malaysia, you should not be promoting traditional medication at the expense of scientifically-based medicine. To do so would be a disservice to the quality of health for all Malaysians. A person in your position should not be hiding behind the blanket of ignorance, and disregard the root cause of the health problems in Malaysia.

Instead of wasting time studying the benefits of traditional medicine and embarking o­n a project to identify (traditional medicine) practitioners who have successfully treated diseases locally (The Star, March 6, 'Seeking traditional medicine man'), the Health Ministry should look into its own backyard in Selangor and initiate a programme to contain the current spread of dengue fever there.

Despite my opposition towards the current trend of elevating the rank of traditional medicine, I must agree that most of the drugs and medical practice we use today, originate from past cultures and traditions. However, these traditional drugs and techniques have been scientifically tested and proven to be effective. The medical community have accepted them as modern medicine after being reviewed by peers and published in medical journals.

If the government is serious in bringing traditional medication into mainstream medicine, they should do it in an organised manner.

1) The government should ensure that our forests are not raped and destroyed by logging, both illegal and legal. Tropical forests hold a lot of medicinal treasures, which are yet to be discovered.

2) Provide incentives and encouragement for our scientists to do more research o­n these topics, instead of allowing the brain drain syndrome in our country to continue.

3) Avoid making spontaneous statements about certain qualities of certain traditional medicinal product without first conducting a medical trial. Malaysians have a tendency to believe the utterances of leaders and so-called 'medical profesionals' without questioning whether the data given has been proven significant statistically.

4) Educate the public about diseases and the mode of treatment available in this country and the world. People should be correctly informed that diseases like diabetes melitus and hypertension are not curable at the moment, but o­nly controllable. I have met patients with these diseases who told me that they have been cured after taking some herbs and other traditional medication. The Malaysian public nowadays tend to believe their relatives and friends more than they believe health-care professionals who have spent years in medical school to get their degree.

5) The government should have tighter control over traditional medicinal products, which are sold openly to the public. It is an irony that the Health Ministry places strict control over the availability and sale of modern medicine, but o­n the other hand does not have any control whatsoever over these traditional medicinal products. Potions claiming to cure all diseases are being sold everywhere and Malaysians are taken in by their claims. o­n the other hand, life saving procedures such as live donor organ transplants are being discouraged.

Health care should be left to health-care professionals. After years of training, I am sure medical doctors are capable of diagnosing a disease and treating it. After all, it is the doctor who has direct contact with the patient. It is also the doctor who examines the patient as a whole and come to a diagnosis based o­n proper examining techniques. Policy-makers and traditional healers should not attempt to break this sacred bond between the doctor and the patient.

Mr Chua Jui Meng, with all due respect, salutations and felicitations, I call upon your good self and your friends in the world of traditional medicine, to step back and let medical professionals carry o­n with their work.