KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Umno Youth’s Shahril Hamdan said today the move to waive the SPM-level Bahasa Malaysia (BM) requirement for medical graduates to be appointed as Grade UD41 contract officers would make the national language seem sidelined.

The wing’s executive council member complained that no rationale was given for the decision, while claiming such leeway given by the Health Ministry would also make matters worse in the case of the oversupply of medical graduates in the country.

"BM is not merely a must-pass subject in schools, but is the core of unity and national integrity,” Shahril, who is also the wing’s Young Professionals Bureau chief, said in a statement.

He also questioned the effectiveness of a future doctor to diagnose and prescribe proper medication for his patients without having a good grasp of the language.

In a separate statement, Pahang Umno Youth chief Shahar Abdullah also warned that the decision would kick off a demand to abolish BM as a respected language here.

Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today the Public Service Department has agreed to waive the SPM-level BM pass requirement for the contract staff.

He reportedly said that candidates applying for permanent appointment as medical officers in the ministry were, however, required to pass the subject.

Dr Noor Hisham said candidates who registered for the SPM examination for the first time could seek permission from the examination board to sit for the subject alone.