Suit by 30 against UM struck out

NST: The High Court today struck out a suit against Universiti Malaya filed by 30 medical students from unscheduled universities.
The decision was made in chambers by judge Datuk Mohd Hishammuddin Mohd Yunus, who also ordered costs.
The graduates, led by Dr V. Vijaya Kumar, had named the Malaysian Medical Council, the Health Minister, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Sains Malaysia as defendants.
On Dec 30, senior assistant registrar Raja Noor Adilla Raja Mahyaldi struck out the graduates suit against USM.
The graduates claimed they had been denied their constitutional right to practise medicine in Malaysia, and had been wrongfully compelled to sit an exam at the university before being allowed to practice.
They alleged the university practised double standards in assessing them and utilised examination-marking criteria prejudicial to them.
The graduates sought declarations that:
• they be allowed to practise as doctors;
• the examination results announced by UM, UKM and USM were unjust; and,
• UM, USM and UKM should award them certificates and damages.
Universiti Malaya, represented by counsels Su Tiang Joo and Teh Eng Lay, filed a statement of defence saying the court had no jurisdiction to adjudicate the plaintiff’s claim and was not the proper forum to determine the merits of the graduates.