MCA Youth is unhappy over the British government's decision to de-recognise the Permit Free Training visa that affects hundreds of Malaysian medical postgraduates in United Kingdom.

MCA Youth secretary-general Wee Ka Siong said this move has resulted in many students being forced to return home should they fail to secure a working visa.

"I have met with many parents who have said their sons and daughters are not able to get the Permit Free Training Visa and they must now acquire a work permit."

Some of them had to pack and leave midway while working in the hospitals to come home to apply for a work visa. Otherwise they would be classified as illegals, he said in a statement yesterday.

In April this year, the British government announced that medical specialist training programmes in the UK can only be pursued if the student has a work permit.

The change was primarily due to a European Union (EU) legislation which requires doctors from other EU countries to be treated on par with UK doctors.

The British government had issued a statement earlier explaining that they are only obligated to ensure that the doctors complete their two foundation years to qualify as medical officers registered in the General Medical Council.

Don't leave students in the lurch

Wee said such an explanation was unsatisfactory as parents had already sent their children to study a course and believing that they would be allowed to complete their postgraduate training programme.

However, Wee made it clear that he appreciates Britain's sovereign right to determine its own internal polices but these fee-paying students should not be left in the lurch.

He urged that Malaysian students currently pursuing specialist training be permitted to finish before imposing the blanket ruling so that students can "make the necessary preparations".

"I am not objecting to the ruling per se but I am asking the British government to allow those presently in the system to continue their studies. And to make clear to future students that the new ruling is in force," he said.

Asked when contacted as to how many parents have spoken to him regarding this matter, Wee said, "about six to seven parents flew in from UK to meet with me and told me their predicament."

However, he said MCA has not approached the British High Commissioner directly but has 'gone through proper channels' by getting the Foreign Ministry to raise this issue with them.

"They (British government) owe us an explanation," he said adding that the High Commissioner has yet to respond to queries from MCA.