“The amendments will only apply to new medical students and not those who are already in existing courses,” said Liow when replying to a question from Dr Tan Seng Giaw (DAP-Kepong) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

On the issue of quality, Liow admitted that it would be difficult to regularly monitor the medical courses offered by the institutions since it would be expensive to send evaluation panels overseas.

Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr David Quek said the association supported the move but said students and parents must choose foreign universities carefully.

“Although they can choose any university they want to go to, they still need to come back and sit for the (licensing) exam, which may include clinical examination.

“The exam will ensure that only those who pass are able to practise as doctors,” he said, adding that this would also reduce complaints of bias and remove unfair labels, especially against lesser-known foreign universities.

He added that students studying in local medical schools should also sit for the exam.

A local practitioner, who declined to be named, expressed concern that the quality of medical education might be jeopardised given the high number of local medical schools.

A medical lecturer at Universiti Malaya said the amendments would push students to study locally, and the situation must be monitored to ensure schools were up to mark.

Physicians for Social Responsibility vice-president Datuk Dr Abdul Hamid Abdul Kadir said students attending local schools that had tie-ups with foreign institutions should also be subjected to the exam.