President’s Message (September – October 2021)

4th November 2021

We have been battling this pandemic globally and locally for almost 2 years and we are now, slowly but surely, able to press the brakes to control the situation. As of 10th September 2021, only Labuan was in the Phase 4 of our National Recover Plan, followed by Negeri Sembilan, Perlis and Sawarak that were in the Phase 3, whereas the rest of the Malaysia was either in Phase 1 or Phase 2. The number of new cases as of 11th September 2021 stood at 19,550, with 592 new deaths reported. On the 11th September 2021, the matter of Annual General Meeting was discussed during our Council Meeting. Although, it was initially planned as a physical event back then in June 2021, the council felt that a virtual Annual General Meeting would be better off, mainly to overcome the uncertainty as to when the whole nation would enter successfully into Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan and to take into account on the readiness of our members to travel as some have express concerns due the health safety matters which is truly understandable. Nevertheless, after discussing with the Election Committee and taking into account the advice from Registrar of Society, the council has taken a very tough decision to hold a physical Annual General Meeting before the turn of the year, which is on the 19th December 2021 (10:00 am) at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The notice of the Annual General Meeting (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FESs0bPhqPibf7xj800ffarmMUnaaKmF) and the calling of nomination for office bearers and standing committees in the upcoming election (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CdwroqWZrWYtgm7KiqDVj9eSWj5zEbQ7) at the Annual General Meeting were already out to the members via email blast since last month. Please kindly take note that the closing date for nominations shall be 12.00 noon on Friday, 19th November 2021. This Annual General Meeting is indeed important not only that it is constitutional but also for the ongoing daily business operation of the Association, both internally and with other agencies.

Following on in my message here is a summary of some of the local and international activities taken on by the Association in the past few months.

Renewal of APC 2022 for the Private Sector
We were informed recently by Malaysian Dental Council that the payment service through MyBayar portal for renewal of Annual Practicing Certificate (APC) has been discontinued and that we were advised to revert to the conventional method of payment using bank drafts / postal order / money order. In the midst of our nation trying hard to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Association has decided to assist our fellow members in the private sector in collecting the APC renewal fees on their behalf using our payment portal. Members who are active practitioners are first required to submit an APC 2022 application through the DPMIS website and verify the amount to be paid before making the payment at the MDA payment portal. List of payees (including amount paid) will be generated for MDC’s reference and the amount payable will be made to MDC using bank drafts / postal order / money order. Please kindly be informed that the deadline for this exclusive service to members is 15th November 2021.

Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Penasihat Radiologi (Radiology Advisory Committee) ke 45, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (23rd August 2021). Attended by Dr Leong Kei Joe. During the meeting, the issue of delay in approving the installation of dental x-rays in private dental clinics was raised and Bahagian Kawalselia Radiasi Perubatan, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, has agreed to look to into this matter. A follow-up letter was also sent to them on the 14th September 2021 and was acknowledged by the Director.

Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Minggu Kesedaran Kanser Mulut (24th August 2021, 5th October 2021). Attended by Dr Leong Kei Joe.

Please do join us in celebrating this annual event, to be launched on 7th November 2021, and most of all to incorporate this important message to your patients.

MDA Foundation:
– MDA Foundation – MDA Council Meeting (4th September 2021)
– Annual General Meeting (26th September 2021)

Curriculum Review Meeting for DDS degree by Faculty of Dentistry, Lincoln University College, Malaysia (22nd September 2021). Attended by Dr Leong Kei Joe.

Prof. Dr. Ihsane Ben Yahya (photo courtesy of FDI News)

Once again, as member of the FDI World Dental Federation, MDA was called to take part in this annual international meeting. Traditionally, event of this magnitude was held in the countries hosting the FDI world Dental Congress. Unfortunately, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the international travel restrictions, the meeting this year (including the FDI World Dental Congress held at Sydney, Australia) was conducted fully virtual. It was an important international platform for MDA as it provided an avenue to discuss actively on issues related to policy statements and even administrative matters. Though our sole nominee from Malaysia, Dato’ Dr How Kim Chuan (who contested for the post of Speaker and later Treasurer) was not successful in the election, we trust that MDA has already marked a special recognition among our international colleagues from various National Dental Association. On this note, I wish to congratulate Prof. Dr. Ihsane Ben Yahya, from Morocco Dental Association, on her installation as the new President of FDI World Dental Federation. Many thanks to her predecessor, Dr Gerhard Seeberger, for his support and, most of all his friendship to MDA.
Prof. Dr. Ihsane Ben Yahya (photo courtesy of FDI News)

National Oral Health Plan 2021 – 2030: Secretariat Meeting, Ministry of Health Malaysia (30th September 2021). Attended by Dr Leong Kei Joe and Dr Sharon Tay. The main objective of the meeting was to discuss the possibilities of involvement of various agencies / sectors (private dental practice) in the various focus area of the National Oral Health Plan.

Virtual Symposium “Cavity Free Future Initiative in Malaysia: A Revisit & Future Direction” Celebrating World Cavity Free Future Day (WCFFD) 2021, by Alliance for a Cavity Free Future (ACFF) Malaysia Chapter (13th October 2021).

I also wish to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all participating private dental clinics nationwide for making the GSK Oral Care Month 2021 (in collaboration with MDA), which ended in October 2021, a huge success. With the approach of the upcoming Annual General Meeting, my term as the President will soon conclude. Nevertheless, I hope to “see” all of you again in my last President’s Message for the term 2019/2021 before the Annual General Meeting. It has indeed been my pleasure to share the works of the Association and I trust that these messages that have been routinely published will act as my “mouthpiece” to keep all of you updated. My last words to end this message: The word “Association” in a deeper sense is a commitment from members whom they call to be associated to and it is not only physically but whole heartedly. God bless all of you.

Kei Joe LEONG

It was just slightly over a month since I last posted my message here. It is indeed disheartening to know that the progress of COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia is still putting the whole nation on a high alert. In comparison, the daily recorded new cases of COVID-19 are now breaching to a daily 5 – figure number with recent daily figures hitting above 20,000 new cases daily. In many ways this pandemic, as how the recently concluded MIDEC Forum 2021 puts it, may be regarded as World War III, a battle shared by so many nations across the globe. The MIDEC Forum 2021, was held concurrently with MIDEC 2021: The Digital Edition, and it was attended by National / Regional Dental Associations (NDAs) from this region of the globe to discuss and share experiences on issues faced by the profession. This forum was traditionally attended physically by Presidents of NDAs during our annual MIDEC but due to international travel restriction during this pandemic, it was held online for the very first time.

The forum with the theme “The Practice of Dentistry in the COVID-19 Era” was held on the 8th August 2021 and was attended by Malaysian Dental Association, Hong Kong Dental Association, Chinese Stomatological Association, Vietnam Odonto – Stomatological Association, Taiwan Dental Association, Singapore Dental Association, The Dental Association of Thailand, Indonesian Dental Association, Ho Chi Minh City Odonto – Stomatological Association, and Myanmar Dental Association. MDA is truly honoured that this forum was also attended by the President of FDI World Dental Federation, Dr Gerhard Seeberger, to share his thoughts in the discussion and also gave his closing remarks at the end of the forum. My sincere thanks to Dr Chow Kai Foo, FDI National Liaison Officer, for an excellent task in moderating the forum. After the forum, in his personal communication with MDA, Dr Gerhard Seebeger wished to share the following message to all:

“…many thanks again for giving me the opportunity and the honour to be with you on Sunday. As President I feel a high responsibility for you as our valued FDI members. In these bizarre times the minimum I can give is my solidarity with you and sharing my private and professional life experience, as well as the ultimate FDI recommendations. It was a pleasure to meet with new and old friends and listen to their experiences, concerns, and counter measures to fight the pandemic for their teams and themselves, and for their patients and people alike. I hope I could at least give answers to some of your questions and, please, do not hesitate to ask if you feel I could do something for you. I wish you all the best, especially to be strong and efficient for your patients and your families.”

Moving forward, MDA has also recently updated the MDA Safety Advisory to Dental Practitioners during the current concern of COVID – 19 outbreak (10.08.2021) which is now available on MDA Homepage and also MDA FB. On this note, I also wish to bring to your attention on a recently released document by Ministry of Health Malaysia and Ministry of Human Resources on the matter of improving ventilation in healthcare facilities. This document, GUIDANCE NOTE TO BUILDING OWNERS AND BUILDING MANAGEMENTS ON VENTILATION AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ) FOR HEALTHCARE FACILITIES SETTING DURING COVID-19PANDEMIC is available for viewing at (link) and worth exploring on its implementation in our dental clinics.

Back home at MDA, with the recently announced National Recovery Plan Phase Transition and the relaxation of SOPs for fully vaccinated individuals, I sincerely hope that we could call for our Annual General Meeting which has now been postponed since June 2021. Nevertheless, our council members, representing the Association have been attending official meetings and tasks, and to name a few:

• Mesyuarat Majlis Keselamatan Pesakit Malaysia, attended by Dr Lim Chiew Wooi on the 9th June 2021.
• Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Inisiatif Kanser Mulut Kebangsaan, attended by Dr Lim Chiew Wooi on the 5th July 2021.
• MDA – GSK Webinar “Beyond Dental Chairs: Retainers and Aligners”, moderated by Dr Leong Kei Joe on 7th July 2021.
• Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Pensijilan Radiation Protection Officer, attended by Dr Leong Kei Joe on 12th July 2021.
• Malaysian Dental Students Association AGM, attended by Dr Leong Kei Joe on 17th July 2021.
• Mesyuarat Lembaga Pengajian Program Diploma Pembantu Pembedahan Pergigian (DSA) UiTM, attended by Dr Goh Seong Ling on the 22nd July 2021.
• Mesyuarat Ahli Jawatankkuasa Minggu Kesedaran Kanser Mulut, attended by Dr Chong Zhen Feng on 30th July 2021.

I believe much can still be done to continually assure the general public that it is safe to seek dental care, and it is important for them feel comfortable, even in this time of the pandemic. Some said, and I believe this is true, that the deadly virus will never ever go away but it is possible to live “normally with it in our midst”. Until we meet up again, I wish all of you the best of health always. Stay safe and stay positive. Cheers.

Kei Joe LEONG

Dear members of Malaysian Dental Association (MDA).

Greetings. More than a year has passed, and it is still fresh in all our memory, the experience that all of us as dental practitioners had to go through at the various phases of Movement Control Order in Malaysia. Now, at MCO 3.0, implemented since 1st June 2021, painful it may be, but it is indeed necessary to curb the COVID-19 outbreak in our country as quickly as possible to quickly flatten the curve before our healthcare system collapses. It is indeed sad to note that after more than a year of battle with COVID-19, victory is still not in sight. In fact, with new variants that are linked to higher transmissibility and a staggering daily 4 digit positive case, which at one point of time recently hit a daily record above 9000 cases, the end of the tunnel seems very far away. Nevertheless, we must win the war, it is no longer an option but a commission for each and everyone of us to seriously play our part as responsible as possible.

The month of June in each calendar year was always traditionally a busy month leading up to the Annual General Meeting (AGM). This year, our AGM was planned to be held on the 20th June 2021. Despite numerous attempts by our Association to request from Registrar of Society (ROS) for a postponement of the AGM in the hope for a more productive physical AGM and election, we were still advised to continue to hold our AGM as per our constitution. As much as all of us wanted for a physical AGM like in previous years, we have no choice, due to interstate and interdistrict travel restrictions, we were advised by ROS to hold our AGM virtually so as to adhere to our constitution to avoid legal actions being taken against the Association. Nevertheless, at the eleventh hour, after much deliberation and discussion with ROS, we received instructions to postpone our AGM.

One of the highlights early of this year related to COVID-19 was the vaccination exercise that started in February 2021. All dental practitioners are regarded as frontliners and were included in the first phase of the vaccination exercise. On behalf of the Association, I wish to thank MOH and MOSTI for making it clear that all private dental practitioners are to be included in the first phase. A major nationwide survey was conducted to collect names of private dental practitioners, members and non-members alike, and their registered staffs for listing purposes. Even after the survey was concluded, MDA still remained open to collect names for those who missed the survey and separate, additional listings were sent to the respective state health authorities. Unfortunately, there are still some hiccups at the ground level when it comes to the actual implementation and it seems that the implementation was slow and differs from place to place. Nevertheless, I believe majority of the dental practitioners in the nation would have now been fully vaccinated. We have also reminded the health authorities repeatedly that we have listing of volunteers from the private sector ready to be employed as vaccinators. My deepest appreciation to all these private dental practitioners who are willing to take time off and ready to be deployed. Now, in the second phase of the vaccination programme, COVID-19 Immunization Task Force advised all remaining private dental practitioners who have yet to receive their vaccination to visit the nearest Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah to request for appointment for vaccination.

The Association was indeed excited that even in the midst of the outbreak of COVID-19, we managed to deliver MDA SCATE 2021: The Digital Edition to the dental fraternity. It was held totally on a virtual platform from 5th of March 2021 till 9th of March 2021 as LIVE and later another 30 days for on-demand viewing. Truly the first of its kind in the history of MDA, something to give back to the members although it did not generate any surplus in income for the Association. In fact, we have learnt a lot from this, and we are now planning for MIDEC 2021: The Digital Edition, making it even bigger, to be held from 5th till 8th August 2021 and 60 days on demand viewing. Indeed, the COVID-19 outbreak has reset many of our norms. Though webinar is not something new to us, it is now upgraded to a whole new experince of conferencing.

Maintaining good rapport and forging new ties with other National Dental Association is regarded as one of important duties of the council and this is extremely important when all National Dental Associations meet up at the annual FDI (World Dental Federation) Parliamentary Meetings and Asia Pacific Dental Federation Delegates Meeting. The FDI World Dental Congress at Shanghai, China, was called off last year and this year FDI World Dental Congress at Sydney, Australia, is totally on a virtual platform. Nevertheless, MDA is excited as Dato’ Dr How Kim Chuan, Past President of MDA and Past Councillor of FDI, will be running for the post as Speaker in the upcoming election in FDI World Dental Congress, Sydney.

Also at the international arena, MDA attended virtually the Asia Pacific Dental Federation Delegates Meeting, held on the 23rd May 2021 and 25th May 2021, in conjunction with Asia Pacific Dental Congress, Sri Lanka. The delegation from MDA comprised of Dr Leong Kei Joe as the chief delegate, Dr Lim Chiew Wooi and Dr Chong Zhen Feng as the alternate delegates. The President of MDA was also given the opportunity to chair the scientific session where the speaker was Dr Gerhard Seeberger, President of FDI World Dental Federation.

April 2021

– Systema GUMBATTE Towards Healthy Gums and Teeth PR Launch on 6th April 2021. MDA representative was Dr Chong Zhen Feng.

– Bachelor of Oral Health curriculum review meeting organised y UiTM on the 12th April 2021 and was attended by Dr Leong Kei Joe who was appointed as External Board of Reviewers representing MDA.

June 2021

– Kempen Kesedaran Pelaksanaan Penyampaian Perkhidmatan Pergigian Norma Baharu organised the Dental Faculty of UiTM. Dr Neoh Ein Yau was one of the panellist the discussion on the topic “ Oral Health Service Delivery: Adapting to the New Norm” held on the 2nd June 2021.

• Malaysian Dental Council (MDC) council meeting, held virtually on the 18th June 2021, attended by Dr Leong Kei Joe.
• National Oral Health Plan 2021-2030 stakeholders meeting, held virtually on the 21st June 2021, attended by Dr Leong Kei Joe.
• DPL – MDA Webinar: Wisdom Tooth and Implant Case Studies ( 25.06.2021)

I sincerely believe that every President of the Association has its unique challenges and it just happen that the COVID-19 outbreak and its sequela have been the main challenge for the Association. It affected many aspect across the board:

• Administrative operation at Wisma MDA with staffs having to work from home on and off.
• Congresses and other continuous professional development activities either cancelled or conducted virtually,
• Welfare of the practising members especially on the ever changing rules and regulations arising from various authorities,
• Continuous ties with National Dental Associations especially with the international travel restrictions. Speakers exchange and sharing congratulatory video message among Presidents’ of National Dental Associations is now a common activity.
• Dental training of Dental Students,
• And many more.

We do not know how long this pandemic will last, but it will be here for a long time to come and we need to adapt. Until we are completely out of the woods, these challenges may continue to linger on to next Presidency and on this note, I wish to seek for your full support for Dr Lim Chiew Wooi who will be my successor, hopefully before the turn of the year.

Thank you.
Sincerely Yours,
Kei Joe LEONG

Dear fellow colleagues,

Greetings from Malaysian Dental Association.
The MCO 3.0 of our country is understandable, painful but necessary. However, it has brought to our attention by fellow private practitioners that approval letters, despite the fact that dental healthcare service is categorized under essential services, operation and permission to travel to work are needed to be applied from CIMS 3.0 through the MITI portal. In beginning of the lock down, we were under the impression that private dental healthcare services will continue to operate as usual and that a letter from the employer / work pass would be sufficient for travel to work, as what we went through in the previous MCOs. This was also reiterated by CKAPS on their posting as below:

Please visit this website from MITI for further information:

Some of us had indeed tried to register through the system mentioned above but without any success, most likely due to heavy congestion to their server. We had contacted MOH (through Director General of Health Malaysia) and MITI but we have yet to receive any news.

Hence, for the time being (while trying to gain access and approval from CMS 3.0 – if at all it is needed) our best advice, is that PIC of the private Dental Clinics need to prepare letters to all their staffs as proof of employment at the private Dental Clinics to allow them to travel to work. Additional supporting documents that may be useful include; work ID card (if available), copy of registration of the clinic, Kad Petugas Kesihatan (stamped and signed by the PIC) to be displayed at the car’s dashboard.

MDA will continue to monitor the situation and update from time to time. We also welcome verified information from members with regards to the current situation. I wish all of you the best of health always and to continuously stay safe. I trust that the sky will one day be bright again for all of us. Cheers. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Dr Leong Kei Joe
President

Dear fellow colleagues,

Greetings from Malaysian Dental Association and to all Muslim friends and colleagues, wishing all of you “Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri”. It has now been more than a year since our nation faced the unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19. This year marks the second time, our nation celebrates the festive season of Hari Raya Aidilfitri under Movement Control Order. As difficult as it may seems but it is a sacrifice that the whole nation needs to take to ensure the numbers of COVID-19 cases are under controlled and not overwhelming our healthcare facilities. Nevertheless, I wish you all joy and happiness throughout the celebration. May you all be given strength to discharge your duties throughout the pandemic.

Strict adherence to SOPs has now been a new norm for all of us. Recently, some of our members seek clarification from Malaysian Dental Association regarding compound issued by local municipal councils or district health offices to private dental clinics for noncompliance of COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures. The inspection officers found some clinics do not have the following in place:

1. Record of daily staff health screening including temperature recording.
2. Record list of patients’ temperature recording
3. Premise sanitisation records of at least 3 times a day.
4. Inward and outward-bound traffic flow within the health premises.

All dental clinics are advised to remain vigilant and comply the SOPs outlined by National Security Council as enforcement officers are carrying out random inspections to ensure all business activities, including health sectors adhere current SOPs. Kindly refer to the SOP for healthcare facilities for more information:
http://covid-19.moh.gov.my/faqsop/sop-pkp-pemulihan/SOP-Perubatan_-Dikemaskini-pada-3-September-2020.pdf

I also wish to draw your attention on the latest advisory for private dental practitioners; “MDA Safety Advisory to Dental Practitioners during the current Concern of COVID – 19 Infection (updated15.05.2021)“. There is an updated definition on COVID-19 cases and guidelines from Ministry of Health Malaysia.

Last but not least, for all those private dental practitioners who have not submitted their names to MDA and also to those who are still waiting for notification for vaccination, the COVID-19 Immunization Task Force has advised MDA that they can personally contact or walk-in to the nearest Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah to arrange for the vaccination appointment for themselves and also for their staffs. Colleagues are advised to bring along documentations for verification purposes. Please kindly visit this website for contact details of the Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah in the country:
https://www.moh.gov.my/index.php/database_stores/store_view/5

I wish all of you the best of health always and to continuously stay safe. I trust that the sky will one day be bright again for all of us. Cheers. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Dr Leong Kei Joe
President

Dear beloved members and colleagues,

Greetings from Malaysian Dental Association (MDA). The National COVID-19 Immunisation Program which has started since late February 2021 is now entering the second phase. Congratulations to all our colleagues who have already completed their COVID-19 vaccination, and this includes staffs in the respective clinics. The Association has been constantly “feeding” additional name lists, members and non-members alike, to all the respective State Health Department for listing and notifications. A big “thank you” to the MOH and MOSTI.

On the other hand, the Association is saddened and has been constantly alerted by our colleagues from the private sector that many are still waiting for notification for the vaccination appointment, even at press time. This matter is indeed of concern to the Association as our profession deals in close proximity of the oral – facial region of the patients with most of our procedures generate aerosol. Hence, this matter was highlighted to YB Tuan Khairy Jamaluddin, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation & Coordinating Minister for National COVID-19 Immunisation Program. YB Tuan Khairy Jamaluddin has personally contacted me to assure that this matter will be looked at and resolved as quickly as possible. Following on, the nationwide listing from MDA was sent to Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) for cross check to “pick – up” those names that were still not called for appointment. Also, in the last attempt to “mop” all those private dental practitioners who have not submitted their names to MDA and also to those who are still waiting for notification for vaccination, the COVID-19 Immunization Task Force has advised that they can personally contact or walk-in to the nearest Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah to arrange for the vaccination appointment for themselves and also for their staffs. Colleagues are advised to bring along documentations for verification purposes. Please kindly visit this website for contact details of the Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah in the country.

https://www.moh.gov.my/index.php/database_stores/store_view/5

Thank you.

Yours in MDA,
Kei Joe LEONG
President

Dear beloved members and colleagues,

Greetings from Malaysian Dental Association (MDA). The National COVID-19 Immunisation Program has already begun late February 2021 with our Right Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, being the first recipient of the vaccine. The first phase of the vaccination program was very much awaited by the whole healthcare providers, including the oral healthcare providers in the nation. Prior to this, the association was kept extremely busy compiling names from all private dental practitioners, irrespective of their membership status, for submission to the authorities. This included names from those who responded to the survey and those who wrote in to the association. It was indeed a herculean task being taken on by the association and all the respective zones to ensure that all these names for listing and matching were not only sent centrally (Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), Bilik Gerakan Program Imunisasi COVID-19 Kebangsaan) but also to the respective states through Jabatan Kesihatan Negeri. We are all assured by the recent announcement by both MOH and MOSTI that all general dental practitioners are included in the group for early access to the vaccines. We are now seeing the fruits of these efforts and we have news and confirmation that dental practitioners from private sectors have already started receiving the first vaccination dose together with those in the public sector. Please kindly be reminded that you also need to register for the vaccination through your mySejahtera app for notifications by the authorities.

In his opening speech, Tan Sri touched on the matter of new normal and oral health strategies whereby, oral healthcare system needs to be sustainable and is prepared to adapt to the “new normal” amidst the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. It is also important for governments to recognize that oral health is essential as contributor to overall health. Moreover, oral health has been included in the Political Declaration on Universal Health Coverage since 2019 by World Health Organisation. Good and safe access to routine dental check – up is necessary for early detection, prevention as well as control of oral diseases. He reiterated further that other important measures to consider and undertake are to ensure that patients and staff are adequately protected from as well as being an infection risk through screening and triaging patients; implementing strict hand hygiene and disinfection measures; ensuring the availability and correct use of PPE by all staff; enforcing physical distancing, use of masks by patients in waiting rooms; and utilizing tele-dentistry for patient. Tan Sri also applauded the dental officers from the Ministry of Health Malaysia for having participated actively as frontliners in the effort to fight this pandemic.

This 5 – day long digital convention, with the theme “Safe Dentistry: Getting back on your feet”, has already attracted well over 670 participants at the time of launching and the numbers is expected to increase further as registration is still open and the platform is available for on demand access and viewing for next 30 days.

I also wish to highlight to all that the celebration of World Oral Health Day 2021 has also taken an unprecedented move to scale down the national celebration. The primary aim is now to disseminate as much as possible oral health awareness messages to the public through social media and to organise a series of webinars together with our Global Supporter, 3M, for dental practitioners. For more information, please do visit our homepage as the first webinar will start on 20th March 2021, which is also a date dedicated for World Oral Health Day to be celebrated all over the globe.

The travel restrictions has not stopped the Association from attending meetings with various parties and governmental agencies. Although there are still limitations with online meetings, it is probably the best option at the moment to ensure that administrative meetings are kept on the move. In fact, the upcoming MDA Zones’ Annual General Meeting will also be held on an online platform. Since December 2020 till now, apart from MDA’s council meetings, MDA has participated in a few important meetings and naming a few of them here are:

1. Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Pemandu Malaysia: National Health Accounts 2020 on the 8th December 2020.
2. Sesi penerangan mekanisme penentuan harga ubat dan kajian cost benefit analysis sesi 3: penyedia perkhidmatan kesihatan dan insurans (insurance providers) oleh Program Perkhidmatan Farmasi, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia on 6th January 2021.
3. Malaysian Dental Council meeting on 22nd January 2021.
4. Sesi perbincangan “Sinergi antara Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia dan National Oral Health Plan 2021-2030 on 3rd March 2021.
5. Taklimat garis panduan penjagaan kesihatan pergigian kanak – kanak (Toddlers) kolabrasi bersama agensi luar by Oral Health Program, Ministry of Health Malaysia, on 9th March 2021.