Chinese national jailed, fined RM70k for providing unregistered dental service

KUALA LUMPUR: A man of Chinese nationality who impersonated a dentist was sentenced to a month's jail and fined RM70,000, in default six months' jail, by the Sessions Court here today, for operating a dental clinic which was not registered with the Malaysian Ministry of Health (KKM).
Judge Wan Mohd Norhisham Wan Yaakob meted out the punishment on Chen Jianghong, 48, who changed his plea to guilty.
He had initially pleaded not guilty to the charge of operating the unregistered private dental clinic in a hotel room at Wisma Chha Yong Fay, Choon Kuan Pasar Baru, here, at 10.55am last Sept 28.
Chen was ordered to serve the jail sentence from the date of arrest on Sept 28.
The charge, under Section 4(1) of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 and punishable under Section 5(1)(a)(i) of the same act, provides a maximum RM300,000 fine or imprisonment of up to six years, or both, on conviction.
In the judgment, Wan Mohd Norhisham said the offence committed by the accused was serious as he had no experience and expertise as a dentist.
As a foreigner, Chen was not supposed to operate dental treatment without certificate from KKM, said the judge.
In mitigation, Chen's lawyer, Tan Teck Yew, said his client was the sole breadwinner of his family.
Deputy public prosecutor from the Health Ministry, Nurul Khairiyah Samsudin, prosecuted. — Bernama