Optical Act 1991
Optical Act 1991
Optical Act 1991
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ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
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PART I - PRELIMINARY
Section 2. Interpretation.
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires "Chairman" means Chairman of the Council; "Council" means the Malaysian Optical Council constituted under section 3; "Deputy Director General" means the Deputy Director General of Health, Malaysia; "Director General" means the Director General of Health, Malaysia; "higher educational institution" means a University or University College established under the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971[Act 30]; "medical practitioner" means a person registered under the Medical Act 1971[Act 50]; "member" means a member of the Council; "ophthalmic lens" means a lens which is used to correct, remedy or relieve any refractive abnormalities or optical defects of sight;
"ophthalmologist" means a person who is registered under the Medical Act 1971 and who specialises in the care of eye conditions; "optical appliance" means an appliance designed to correct, remedy or relieve any refractive abnormalities or optical defects of sight; "optometry" means the employment of methods for the measurement of the powers of vision, or the adaptation of ophthalmic lenses or prisms for the aid of the powers of vision, or both; "Register" means a Register kept in accordance with section 17; "registered optician" means an optician registered under section 18; "registered optometrist" means an optometrist who is registered under section 19; "registered person" means a person registered under section 18 or 19 and includes a person provisionally registered under subsection (3) of section 18; "Registrar" means the Registrar referred to in section 16.
(a) the Director General who shall be the Chairman; (b) the Deputy Director General who shall be the Deputy Chairman; (c) two ophthalmologists resident in Malaysia, one of whom shall be from the public sector, to be appointed by the Minister; (d) two persons who are resident in Malaysia and are qualified to be registered as optometrists under this Act, to be appointed by the Minister; (e) two persons who are resident in Malaysia and are qualified to be registered as opticians under this Act, to be appointed by the Minister; (f) one representative from any higher educational institution offering a course or programme in optometry, to be appointed by the Minister. (3) If the Chairman is unable to exercise his functions under this Act or any regulations made under this Act due to illness, absence from Malaysia or any other cause, his functions shall be exercised by the Deputy Chairman. (4) Without prejudice to subsection (3), the Chairman may delegate any of his functions to the Deputy Chairman who, in exercising such functions, shall be subject to the control, supervision and direction of the Chairman.
Section 6. Remuneration.
(1) Subject to subsection (2), a member is not entitled to be paid in respect of duties or functions performed by him in pursuance of this Act. (2) A member of the Council is entitled to reimbursement for any expenses reasonably incurred by him in the performance of his duties or functions under this Act.
Section 7. Citizenship.
No person shall be appointed or elected to be a member unless he is a citizen of Malaysia.
(a) is not or is no longer attending a course leading to any of the qualifications specified in the First Schedule; or (b) is not or is no longer undergoing practical training as part of such course; or (c) has contravened any condition or restriction imposed upon him, the Council may revoke the provisional registration of such person and order his name to be struck off the Register.
year; or (d) who was not at the time of his registration entitled to be registered.
(1) Any person who is aggrieved by any order made in respect of him by the Council under section 22 may appeal, in accordance with the regulations made under this Act, to the Appeal Board constituted under subsection (6) and the Appeal Board may thereupon affirm, reverse or vary the order appealed against or may give such orders as it may deem just or proper. (2) The Appeal Board may, in any case, make such order as it deems fit with regard to the payment of costs, and any costs awarded may be recovered as a civil debt. (3) Notwithstanding subsection (1), the Appeal Board shall not have power to hear an appeal against an order made under section 22 unless notice of the appeal is given within one month of the service of the order. (4) The Council shall give effect to any decision made by the Appeal Board. (5) The decision of the Appeal Board shall be final. (6) For the purposes of this section, there shall be established an Appeal Board consisting of (a) a Judge of the High Court, as Chairman, who shall be appointed by the Yang diPertuan Agong after consultation with the Chief Juctice; and (b) two other persons who shall be appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. (7) A member of the Appeal Board shall, unless he sooner resigns his office or his appointment is revoked, hold office for such term as may be specified in the instrument appointing him and shall be eligible for reappointment. (8) Subject to this Act and the regulations made under this Act, the procedure of the Appeal Board shall be as the Board determines.
(a) is deceased; or (b) is no longer practising as an optician or optometrist in Malaysia; or (c) is admitted to or confined in any mental hospital under the provisions of any law, the Council shall cause his name and all particulars relating to him to be removed from the appropriate Register.
Section 30. Council may permit opticians to prescribe and dispense contact Ienses.
(1) Notwithstanding subsection 29(2), the Council may, on the application of a registered optician (a) who has been prescribing and dispensing contact lenses for a period of three years or more immediately prior to the date of coming into force of this Act; or (b) who has been prescribing and dispensing contact lenses for a period of less than three years immediately prior to the date of coming into force of this Act and, subject to subsection (2), has passed, within a period of six years from the date of coming into force of this Act, such examination as may be set by the Council,
permit him to continue prescribing and dispensing contact lenses. (2) No person shall be allowed to sit for the examination referred to paragraph (1)(b) unless he has completed, within one year of the date of coming into force of this Act, a training course approved by the Council and has been engaged in the practice of prescribing and dispensing contact lenses for a period which shall not be less than the difference between a period of three years and the period during which he has been prescribing and dispensing contact lenses immediately prior to the date of coming into force of this Act. (3) Notwithstanding subsection 29(2) and solely for the purposes of paragraph (1)(b) , a registered optician referred to in that paragraph may continue to prescribe and dispense contact lenses for a period not exceeding six years from the date of coming into force of this Act. (4) Notwithstanding subsection 29(2) and subsection (1) of this section, the Council may, on the application of a registered optician and upon being satisfied that the applicant has received proper training, and is competent, in the prescribing and dispensing of contact lenses, permit him to prescribe and dispense contact lenses. (5) The Council may, before giving its permission under subsection (4), require the applicant to pass such examination as may be set by the Council. (6) The permission referred to in subsections (1) and (4) shall be given in writing in such form as the Council may determine.
Section 31. Prohibition against the use of drugs to measure powers of vision.
(1) No person other than a medical practitioner shall employ a method for the measurement of the powers of vision which involves the use of drugs. (2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) (a) a registered optometrist; and (b) a registered optician who is permitted to prescribe and dispense contact lenses under this Act, may use for refractive purposes such drugs as may be deemed suitable by the Council from time to time.
thirty-first day of December of the year for which the certificate is issued. (4) A registered person who fails to apply for an annual practising certificate in the manner and within the period laid down in subsection (1) may, upon making an application in such form and on payment of such additional fee as may be prescribed, be granted an annual practising certificate for the following year, if the application is made during the month of December of any year, or for the remainder of the year, if the application is made on or after the first day of January of any year. (5) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Act, a registered person may practise as an optician or optometrist without an annual practising certificate up to the thirty-first day of December of the year in which he is first registered as an optician or optometrist and, for the purpose of this Act and any regulations made under this Act, he shall be deemed to have an annual practising certificate for that period. (6) An annual practising certificate and an application for an annual practising certificate shall contain the address of the principal place of practice and all other places of practice of the applicant, and any change in any such address shall be notified by the registered person to the Registrar and an endorsement of such change on the annual practising certificate shall be obtained from the Registrar within thirty days of such change. (7) Any person who fails to notify the Registrar, as required under subsection (6), of any change of address commits an offence. (8) A certificate under the hand of the Registrar that any person (a) is or is not the holder of an annual practising certificate; or (b) was or was not at any time a holder of an annual practising certificate, shall be conclusive evidence of the matters referred to therein.
PART V - GENERAL
(b) to a manufacturer of or dealer in optical appliance for the purpose of his business; or (c) to any authority or person responsible for the management of (i) a hospital; (ii) a clinic; (iii) a nursing home; or (iv) any other institution which provides medical or surgical treatment and which is approved by the Minister; or (d) to a government department; or (e) for the purpose of its export. (3) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) commits an offence. (4) On any prosecution for selling an optical appliance in contravention of subsection (1), it shall be a defence for the defendant to prove that he sold the appliance as an antique and that he did not know and had no reason to believe that the appliance was bought for the purpose of being used to correct, remedy or relieve a defect of sight.
Section 38. Power to enter premises and examine and seize documents etc.
(1) For the purposes of this Act, a public officer authorized in writing by the Director General may enter during normal business hours the premises in which a registered person is practising optometry or in which there is reasonable ground to believe that a person is practising optometry and (a) may examine any documents, apparatus or article stored or used in connection with the practice; (b) where a person is practising optometry without being registered under this Act, may seize any documents, apparatus or articles stored or used in connection with the practice; and
(c) may require that such information relating to the practice as the authorized person may specify be provided to him. (2) Any person who (a) intimidates, obstructs or molests an authorized person in the performance of such authorized person's duty; or (b) refuses to permit an authorized person to examine any documents, apparatus or articles; or (c) refuses to produce any documents, apparatus or articles for examination by an authorized person; or (d) refuses to surrender any documents, apparatus or articles to an authorized person; or (e) refuses to provide any information required by an authorized person; or (f) attempts to do any of the above acts, commits an offence. (3) Where an authorized person seize any documents, apparatus or articles, he shall give a signed receipt for the documents, apparatus or articles. (4) Any person exercising powers under this section shall produce his letter of authorization on demand.
purposes of this Act. (2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), such regulations may prescribe any or all of the following: (a) the duties of the Registrar; (b) the form of the Register, the contents thereof and the mode in which it shall be kept; (c) the fees to be paid under this Act and such exemptions therefrom as the Minister may deem appropriate; (d) the form and manner in which applications for registration and for annual practising certificates shall be made; (e) the manner of proving qualifications to practise as an optician or optometrist; (f) the management of the property of the Council and audit of its accounts; (g) the procedure to be followed in relation to inquiries held under this Act; (h) the procedure to be followed in relation to appeals under section 25; (i) the procedure for the election of members to the Council; (j) the manner of conducting examinations and the subjects to be examined; (k) the manner in which the training courses referred to in section 30 shall be conducted and the syllabi for such courses; (l) the form of any certificate or other document required under this Act.
Indonesia
Diploma in Optometry
known as Akademi Refraksi Optisi, Surabaya). [Am. P.U.(A) 158/2006] Philippines Central College of Philippines South Western University The Association of Dispensing Opticians *Bradford Technical College Doctor of Optometry Doctor of Optometry
Fellow of the Association of Dispensing Opticians Fellow of the Association of Dispensing Opticians [Am. P.U.(A) 122/97] City and East London Fellow of the Association of College of Applied Optics Dispensing Opticians Glasgow College of Diploma in Opthalmic Technology Dispensing The Association of the Fellow of the British British Dispensing Dispensing Opticians Opticians (before 1 January 1986, excluded from recognition.) [Am. P.U.(A) 597/96] *P.U.(A) 122/97 requires amendment of this item by deleting the word 'the' appearing after the word 'of'. As neither word can be found, it has been left as 'Bradford Technical College'.
United Kingdom
India
Optometry, Madras Malaysia Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia University of Auckland Sarjana Muda Optometri
New Zealand
Bachelor of Science in Optometry Bachelor of Science in Optometry Bachelor of Science in Ophthalmic Optics Bachelor of Science in Ophthalmic Optics Bachelor of Science in Ophthalmic Optics Bachelor of Science in Ophthalmic Optics
Nigeria
University of Benin
United Kingdom
University of Aston in Birmingham University of Bradford City University London University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology Cardiff University
Glasgow College of Bachelor of Science in Technology(after April 1993 Optometry known as Glasgow Caledonian University). [Am. P.U.(A) 159/2006]
Indiana University, Bloomington Ohio State University University of California, Berkeley University of Houston University of Alabama in Birmingham New York State University Illinois College of Optometry, Chicago The New England College of Optometry, Boston Pacific University of Oregon Southern College of Optometry, Memphis
Doctor of Optometry Doctor of Optometry Doctor of Optometry Doctor of Optometry Doctor of Optometry Doctor of Optometry Doctor of Optometry Doctor of Optometry
The Southern California College of Optometry Ferris State University University of Missouri, St. Louis
LIST OF AMENDMENTS
Particulars under section 7(ii) and (iii) of the Revision of Laws Act 1968 (Act 1) Amending law Short title In force from P.U.(A) 66/94 Optical (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 1994 Optical (Amendment of First Schedule) Order 1996 Optical (Amendment of First Schedule) Order 1997 Optical (Amendment of First Schedule) Order 2006 Optical (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2006 Optical (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2007 25-02-1994
P.U.(A) 597/96
13-12-1996
P.U.(A) 122/97
28-03-1997
P.U.(A) 158/2006
28-04-2006
P.U.(A) 159/2006
28-04-2006
P.U.(A) 159/2007
13-04-2007
REGULATIONS
Optical (Fees Exemption) Regulations 1995 - P.U.(B) 104/95; Optical Regulations 1994 - P.U.(A) 210/94.