Materia Medica Malaysiana

Tighter rules for health and beauty salons

KUALA LUMPUR: Health and beauty salons, especially those conducting cosmetic surgery, must be registered with the Health Ministry under a new set of regulations to be implemented next year.

Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said the regulations – under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 – was now at the Attorney-General's Chambers for gazetting.

He said the rules would also govern the practices of these salons to protect the public.

The standards would cover professional qualifications, facilities, treatment procedures, advertisements, offences and penalties.

Topping the list to come under the regulations are treatments involving cosmetic breast surgery, weight loss programmes, Botox and lamb cell injections as well as laser technology.

Dr Chua cautioned the public that they were exposing themselves to dangers when undergoing treatment by non-medical practitioners.

“Right now, these beauty businesses are just registered as companies and practise almost whatever they want.

“They called themselves beauty technicians or beauty therapists and advertise their practice,” he said in an interview here.

On the mushrooming of beauty salons – many with claims to be able to transform a person from top to toe according to their ideal image – Dr Chua admitted:

“My ministry is handicapped in the absence of the regulations.”

In the absence of regulations, there are no official records or statistics on such beauty treatments except for the botched jobs that end up in court.

In 1994, a restaurant owner, Soo Yok Lin, sued beautician Linda Lee Yoke Sim for damages for a botched breast surgery allegedly done by Lee.

Lee was ordered to pay RM87,920.62 to the mother of four, who lost her breasts after a botched breast enlargement treatment.

Dr Chua said those adamant at going under the knife for beauty reasons should go to a recognised plastic surgeon and not be taken in by advertisements.

According to a ministry official, the regulations would cover health and beauty treatments using modern methods, while the traditional ones like reflexology and massages would come under a new law – the proposed Traditional Medicine Act.