Current Challenges and Issues for Traditional and Complementary Medicine (T&CM) in Malaysia

Abstract

Different traditional medicines around the world, traditional Chinese medicine has a unique and relatively complete and systematic body of knowledge. In Malaysia, the conventional teaching and learning of traditional and complementary medicine(T&CM) were mainly based on informal way of apprenticeship between clinical and laboratory-based research, and classified into six major groups, namely traditional Malay medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Indian medicine, homeopathy, complementary medicine, and Islamic medical practice. Current Malaysia T&CM education system qualifications and academic achievements in higher education in Malaysia are as described in the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF). Education or training of individual who practices traditional and complementary medicine can be divided into two categories including higher education and skills training. The Traditional and Complementary Medicine Division works closely with the Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Human Resource in the development of standards for T&CM higher education and skills programs.