How to Check If a Doctor Is MMC Registered in Malaysia

The short answer. Every doctor practising in Malaysia must be registered with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and hold an Annual Practising Certificate (APC) for the current year. You can check both for free on the MMC's public register, MeRITS (merits.mmc.gov.my). Search the doctor's name, open their record, and confirm two things: they have Full Registration, and there is an APC for this year. It takes about a minute, and it is worth doing before any doctor comes to your home.

When a doctor visits you at home, there is no clinic signboard, reception desk or framed certificate on the wall. You are letting someone into your home to examine a parent or a child, often at night and often in a hurry. Checking that they are a registered doctor is the simplest way to know you are in safe hands.

This guide shows you how to do it, what the record tells you, and what to do if you can't find the doctor.

Two things every practising doctor must have

Registration with the MMC. This shows the person qualified as a doctor and is allowed to practise in Malaysia. There are three types you will see:

• Full Registration. The doctor can practise without supervision. This is what you want to see for a doctor visiting your home.
• Provisional Registration. For newly qualified doctors doing their supervised housemanship training, usually in a government hospital.
• Temporary Practising Certificate (TPC). For doctors from overseas practising in Malaysia for a set purpose and period, such as training or research.

An Annual Practising Certificate (APC). Registration alone is not enough. A doctor must renew their APC every year to keep practising, which requires professional indemnity cover and continuing professional development. A registered doctor without a current APC should not be seeing patients.

How to check on MeRITS, step by step

1. Go to merits.mmc.gov.my and choose Search for Registered Doctor.
2. Type the doctor's name in the Name box. You don't need the full name. Part of it is enough, because the register uses full legal names, often with "bin", "binti", "a/l" or "a/p".
3. Leave the other boxes empty and press Search.
4. Find the right person in the list and press the magnifying glass under Details.
5. Check the record against the table below.

There is no option to search by MMC number. If you have the number, search by name and compare it with the registration number shown in the record.

What the record tells you

What you see	What to check
Full name	Matches the doctor who is coming, or who came, to your home
Qualification and university	Where they studied medicine
Full Registration Number and date	There is a full registration number. This is the "MMC number" a doctor gives you
APC year and APC number	There is an APC for the current year. Only the last three years are shown
Place of practice	The clinic or hospital the APC was issued for

If the doctor has Full Registration and an APC for this year, they are a registered doctor allowed to practise.

Specialists have a second register

If someone calls themselves a specialist, such as a geriatrician, cardiologist or paediatrician, they should also be on the National Specialist Register (nsr.org.my). A doctor who is not on that register is not allowed to practise as a specialist in that field, even if they are a registered doctor.

A general house call does not need a specialist. But if a home service advertises specialist care, this is the register to check.

If you can't find the doctor

Don't assume the worst straight away. Common reasons are:

• Spelling. Try a shorter part of the name, or the name the doctor uses on their registration rather than a nickname.
• Too many results. Common names return many pages. Add the university they studied at in Graduated From, if you know it.
• A very recent change. A doctor who has just renewed their APC or moved clinics may take a short while to show the latest details.

If you still can't find them, ask the doctor or the service for their full registered name and MMC number, and check again. A genuine doctor will give you both without hesitation. If they can't, or won't, do not go ahead with the visit.

Nurses and physiotherapists

Doctors are not the only professionals who visit homes.

• Nurses register with the Malaysian Nursing Board (Lembaga Jururawat Malaysia) and also need a practising certificate each year. Ask for their registration number.
• Physiotherapists register with the Malaysian Allied Health Professions Council (MAHPC) under the Allied Health Professions Act 2016. Ask for their MAHPC registration.

The simplest step is to ask the service for the registration number before the visit. A properly run service will give it to you.

Warning signs with any home medical service

• The person can't or won't give a full name and MMC number.
• The name doesn't appear on MeRITS, or there is no APC for this year.
• They call themselves a specialist but aren't on the National Specialist Register.
• Prices or treatments are offered without anyone assessing the patient first.
• Payment is demanded in full before anyone has seen the patient, with no breakdown.

How DocSquad handles this

Every DocSquad doctor is registered with the Malaysian Medical Council and holds a current Annual Practising Certificate. When you book, you can ask for the name and MMC number of the doctor who is coming, and check them on MeRITS before they arrive. Our nurses are registered with the Malaysian Nursing Board, and our physiotherapists with the MAHPC.

You can read more about what happens during a house call doctor visit and what a house call costs.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if a doctor is registered in Malaysia? Search their name on the Malaysian Medical Council's public register, MeRITS, at merits.mmc.gov.my. Open their record and check for Full Registration and an Annual Practising Certificate for the current year.

What is an MMC number? It is the registration number the Malaysian Medical Council gives a doctor. On MeRITS it appears as the Full Registration Number. Newly qualified doctors also have a Provisional Registration Number from their housemanship years.

Can I search MeRITS by MMC number? No. The public search works by name, university, place of practice or type of registration. Search the name, then compare the number in the record with the one the doctor gave you.

What is an APC? An Annual Practising Certificate. Doctors must renew it every year to keep practising. MeRITS shows the APC for the last three years, so check there is one for the current year.

How do I check if a doctor is a real specialist? Search the National Specialist Register at nsr.org.my. A doctor who isn't on it can't practise as a specialist in that field.

Are DocSquad doctors MMC registered? Yes. Every DocSquad doctor is registered with the MMC and holds a current APC. Ask for the doctor's name and MMC number when you book, and check them on MeRITS before the visit.

To book

WhatsApp 011-2434 9125. Tell us where you are and who the patient is, and ask for the name and MMC number of the doctor who is coming.