The Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) regards the no-objection letter issued to medical students as official endorsement of their application to enrol in foreign universities that are recognised by the Public Services Department (PSD).

"It is bona fide evidence that they are eligible to pursue medical courses in universities that we recognise," MMC secretary Dr Wan Mazlan Wan Mohamed Woojdy told malaysiakini .

"Our concern is limited to the graduates' results. Once they finish their course, they must produce the transcript from the university before we register them," he said.

Under the Medical Act 1971, he said, the MMC has no authority to question the eligibility of applicants.

"Determining a student's eligibility is the responsibility of the higher education ministry, which issues the No-Objection Letter," he said when contacted.

Students must produce an offer letter from a university of their choice together with their results and financing details before the ministry can issue a No-Objection Letter.

On June 16, the MMC announced the revocation of recognition of degrees from the Crimea State Medical University (CSMU), Ukraine, effective January next year.

The next day, MIC chief S Samy Vellu alleged that the move was racist in nature as about 60 percent of the students affected are Indian Malaysians.

Last Tuesday, party secretary-general and deputy natural resources and environment minister S Sothinathan was suspended from his cabinet post for questioning his health ministry counterpart about the decision in the Dewan Rakyat .

Same criteria

The MMC has strongly denied that race is a factor in the de-recognition of CMSU, citing overcrowding, sub-standard facilities and high staff-student ratio among other considerations.

Wan Mazlan said the MMC does not practise double standards and that it applies the same recognition criteria when evaluating the applications from local and foreign universities.

"The average staff-student ratio in local public universities is between 1:4 and 1:5 and we review the accreditation every five years. For universities abroad, a review is mounted if we start receiving complaints," he said.

Wan Mazlan said that, while the PSD prepares the criteria for recognition of university degrees based on priority for employment in the civil service, the MMC vets the criteria prior to endorsement.

"Where necessary, we propose changes that comply with the MMC's requirements," he said.

The PSD has a 13-point recognition criteria which includes entry requirements, curriculum and syllabus, staff-student ratio, teaching and learning facilities and medium of instruction.

Graduates from any foreign university not recognised by the PSD are required to sit a medical qualifying examination upon their return.

Denying allegations that the MMC de-recognised CSMU because it has plans to recognise universities in Indonesia and Egypt, Wan Mazlan conceded that a visit had been made to Indonesia but none to Egypt.

On claims that the MMC had sprung a surprise on the Ukraine government with the de-recognition, he said CSMU had not responded adequately to correspondence.

"We informed them and asked them to furnish further details with regard to the re-evaluation, but we only received a sketchy response."

On Friday, national news agency Bernama reported that Mara would continue to sponsor 40 CSMU students from the first batch who have been studying there since 2001.