It is refreshing to read Ida Bakar's response to Arbibi Arshoy's distorted rhetoric about how much doctors earn outside Malaysia. It might be more interesting to comment on how much doctors earn in Malaysia and why there is an oversupply of doctor wannabes.

What was articulated by Ida is the exact truth regarding the matter well done! It is not a bed of roses to get good medical experience tempered with good training at a centre of excellence outside Malaysia.

Neither is it easy to proceed to a new country to practise medicine for whatever reason. Again, I echo that the competition is very stiff and is based purely on merit, and acted out on a level-playing field.

I guess the culture of medicine (as with the other professions) looks to the culture of the government of the day for leads in behaviour and conduct. It is sad to note that the behaviour of the medical profession in Malaysia generally mirrors that of the government, though there are many exceptions.

For a start, most doctors are apolitical but tend to bend with the prevailing wind, presumably for their own benefit. The majority would probably support the Barisan Nasional if the situation suits them. This is a microcosm where the forces within dictate the vision and direction of the profession.

Moving globally, there appears to be many Malaysian doctors living outside Malaysia. Some are in postgraduate training, others are temporary residents working in positions for experience and lifestyle, some are ex-citizens.

Moving across borders and regions to practise medicine is exciting but daunting. This is because different jurisdictions may not recognise qualifications from another. Things are getting tighter by the month and it appears that globalisation has caused the containment of doctors within regions like in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australasia. Even Africa has a system to recognise their indigenous practitioners.

When one moves to another country, there are expectations that one has qualified at an acceptable minimum standard to be considered a 'foreign medical graduate." In fact, Malaysians themselves use this benchmark for those from 'unrecognised universities'.

If one falls short or has been perceived to fall short, there are elaborate mechanisms to remedy the situation. Many Malaysian doctors who have not qualified locally languish abroad, awaiting examinations or certifications. It appears that current Malaysian qualifications in medicine, whether undergraduate or postgraduate, do not command any respect anywhere in the globe as opposed to those qualifications obtained earlier on just after Merdeka.

A good barometer is that of the UK Specialist Training Authority's statistics of the recognition of foreign qualifications for the direct entry pathway into the GMC Specialist Register.

The answer to why Malaysian standards have dropped so drastically is very obvious. A non-level-playing field, goal posts that are moved ever so often and the very slippery slopes. Sadly, in a profession where human lives are being dealt with, these low standards continue to be applied by the BN.