Recently, a case involving a fake dentist has sparked outrage among Malaysian netizens.
Despite the fact that a ‘dentist’ was recently found guilty of running an unlicensed practise in Melaka and was sentenced to six months in jail after she couldn’t pay the RM70,000 fine, she was released thanks to 2 NGOs who helped raise money for her!
The NGOs in question are Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) and the Malaysian Islamic Economic Activist Organization (PPEM), who helped crowd fund the large sum of money to help pay the fine for 20-year-old Nur Farahanis Ezatty Adli.
During her trial, Ezatty reportedly told the court that she acquired her “dentistry skills” from watching YouTube videos. Wait, what?!
Source: New Straits Times
Of course, the court ultimately found her guilty of running an unlicensed practise and sentenced her to the Sungai Udang Prison on the 29th of September when she couldn’t pay the RM70,000 fine. However, just six days after she was sent to prison, PPIM and PPEM crowdfunded enough money to pay for her fine, setting the convicted fraud free!
This understandably raised a lot of concern among members of the Malaysian Association of Orthodontists (MAO). The association’s president, Dr Noraini Alwi, said the crowdfunding campaign was sending a bad message to the public, saying in a statement,
“Furthermore, a statement made by PPIM lead activist Datuk Nadzim Johan implies that it is acceptable for (dental services) to be carried out by anyone who is ‘intelligent’, as the procedures are ‘simple’ and can be ‘learned from YouTube’.”
Datuk Nadzim told the New Straits Times that Ezzaty was “…was merely helping to fix simple braces on her friends, based on her own experience learnt from YouTube.”
Source: Facebook
However, Dr Noraini refuted that statement, saying,
“We would like to caution the public that such is not the case. Those who put them on are irresponsible people who, under the pretext of ‘helping friends or other Malaysians get access to such treatment’ are nothing more than people seeking commercial gain.”
“If care is not taken in the diagnosis, treatment planning and case management of any orthodontic case, the patient may suffer dire consequences, such as damage to the teeth, gums and supporting bone, which may be irreversible.”
However, according to The Sun, Sultan Idris Education University student counsellor Dr Fauziah Mohd Saad stated that the NGOs simply wanted to “save a young lady from being destroyed” despite the fact that she was guilty of a serious crime, saying,
“Maybe PPIM just had a soft spot for her and wanted to save her from continuing to suffer in prison.”
What do you think of this situation? Do you think this is morally right? Let us know!
Also read: Malaysian ‘Dentist’ Operates Own Clinic After Learning Skills Through YouTube Videos
