Plastic surgery

NTV 7, the feel good channel had an interesting talk on plastic surgery this morning. With affluence, many Malaysians are willing to go under the surgeon's knife to have a face lift or correct a physical defect. However, there are many unqualified and unethical people out there trying to scam unsuspecting victims.

The two experts on the program pointed the finger at beauticians but there are also qualified doctors who blotch such jobs simply because they do not have the expertise. They are only fortunate because Malaysians find the subject embarrassing and would would rather suffer in silence than sue the surgeon.

Bogus universities

Recently, the BBC uncovered a bogus university. It has already been in existence for six years and is still operating despite being "caught in the act." I've seen frequent advertisements of the university in local papers. It is based in the UK and has no lack of students from Third World countries. Sad to say, the scam university is run by a Malaysian.

Bogus universities are not uncommon, less detectable in cases of online and distance learning programs. A friend of mine who worked her butt out on her master's program was shocked to find out that her university is not recognized by the government.
My advice for those seeking higher education is to check out the background of the university before making a financial commitment.

The Public Service Department (Scholarship Section) has a list of foreign universities recognized by the government. MACEE has a similar list, I believe, of American institutions.