VIDEO l 3:18 mins

PARLIAMENT The government should heed numerous complaints on recognition of overseas qualifications being made for years, instead of continuing to ask what else the Chinese want, Tiong King Sing (BN-Bintulu) said.

NONEDebating the 2014 Budget, Tiong (left) said that this is especially so in the medical sector where doctors and pharmacists who graduate from overseas universities find it difficult to serve locally.

"This is why the Chinese are not supporting (BN). If this was resolved earlier, we would have seen fewer DAP seats in this Dewan Rakyat...

"The BN government needs to understand this. Don't keep asking 'apa lagi Cina mau?' (What more do the Chinese want?) The Chinese want this resolved," he said.

Tiong claimed that although the overseas qualifications are apparently recognised by the government, the Malaysian Medical Council says otherwise.

He added that the red tape also puts off specialist consultants who are made to jump through hoops and "are assessed by doctors who are not as qualified as they are".

"I hope the (Health Ministry) director-general doesn't just sleep...The minister, too, needs to make a change or we will be changed by the younger generation," he said.

He also lamented that when he asks the minister questions on this in Parliament, the replies have been just "syok sendiri" (self praising).

Meanwhile, on another matter, Othman Aziz (BN-Jerlun) called on the Youth and Sports Ministry to get rid of "overstaying officials" on sports councils.

"(These) officials don't care about the athlete's performances and merely want to hold the positions so they can go on trips here and there," he said.