Cosmetology Bill delayed to avoid redundancy

Star: PETALING JAYA: The proposed Cosmetology Bill to regulate the use of beauty services, products and devices in cosmetic practices, has been delayed because of the wide range of issues that have to be ironed out.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the Attorney-General’s Chambers was now going through the Bill.
“It is an important Bill and we want to make sure that it is well thought out,” he said, adding that he had been pushing for it to be completed and enacted.
Liow said the ministry also had to be clear what comes under the jurisdiction of the local government and the Health Ministry.
“The Cosmetology Bill has some sections that overlap with the Medical Act and this redundancy too, needs to be sorted out,” the minister added.
The Bill was originally scheduled to be tabled at the end of last year, four years after it was first proposed.
Liow said proper guidelines had to be in place for the aesthetic industry so that there would not be fly-by-night operators.
He said this was to ensure locals as well as foreigners would have confidence in the industry especially now that the Government was promoting medical tourism.
“The public is advised not to go to beauty salons offering procedures that are only supposed to be handled by doctors and beauticians must not flirt with the law,” Liow said.
Each of the 40 plastic surgeons in the country now report an average of two cases of procedures or operations gone awry a month – or up to 960 such cases a year.
The number could be much higher as most victims prefer not to report out of embarrassment.
Two years ago, the Health Ministry disclosed that there were between 8,000 and 10,000 beauty centres operating illegally.