KUALA LUMPUR – A government agency involved in Covid-19 innovations has courted controversy for allegedly hiring a cosmetic surgeon, who was struck off the medical registers in both Malaysia and Australia, as its adviser.

The Malaysian Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) appointed Dr Faizal Anwar as its medical and health data advisor and in April, rolled out the ImmuSAFE Covid+ biochip that the Health Ministry will use to verify vaccine efficacy.

Some people on social media as well as an opposition figure have claimed this is the same Dr Faizal who was sued by at least a dozen women in Australia for botching cosmetic surgeries in 2017. He was deregistered by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC).

He was fined A$100,000 (S$101,718) at the Melbourne magistrates’ court in 2018.

“The public demands an explanation as to why not only was a cosmetic surgeon appointed to lead a programme concerning public health, and a highly controversial one at that, with a track record of malpractice which is well known both in Malaysia and Australia,” said Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Perak state chief Farhash Murabak.

MARii chief executive Madani Sahari told The Straits Times that the agency is weighing its options on issuing a statement on the matter.

A Marii representative who declined to be named told ST: “Dr Faizal is not paid by the agency, and his role is only to advise on medical terminology and literature. He’s not directly involved in developing the test kits as claimed (by critics) and he only appeared on (TV news channel) Astro Awani’s ‘Notepad with Ibrahim Sani’ just in case Datuk Madani couldn’t answer medically-related questions.”

The episode, which was aired on June 24, has been taken down from the news channel’s website.

Netizens have said it is alarming that such a disgraced practitioner is among the agency’s point of reference.

MMC has not confirmed whether Dr Faizal has been allowed to return to practice, although an online search of its database shows the locally-trained doctor remains deregistered.

Dr Faizal, who moved to Melbourne as a cosmetic surgeon in 2015, was deregistered by the Australian health authoritiesin August 2017 due to fears over patient safety. He was charged in the same month for continuing to treat patients at a clinic, which allegedly left them with horrible scars and deformities.

The Sunday Herald Sun reported that several patients allegedly had foreign objects inserted into their noses or ears as fillings, which caused infection and a foul smell. Surgeons who removed the foreign objects could not identify the material.

While struck-off medical practitioners are allowed to work as consultants in Malaysia, they are barred from directly treating patients.

A MMC member, who declined to be named, told ST: “It (the appointment) reflects poorly on the organisation … The main issue is of public trust in an important matter being jeopardised by appointing a medical professional who has been struck off in Malaysia and fined for performing medical procedures in Australia without any licence.”

Putrajaya Hospital consultant physician and nephrologist, Dr Rafidah Abdullah, also tweeted: “If you want to appoint a medical adviser, please check the qualifications and background. Don’t hire those who are not experts, what more, those who have been charged with medical malpractice.”

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