A bogus veterinary surgeon is any person other than a registered veterinary surgeon [Sec 12] with a valid annual practicing certificate [Sec 17] or with a temporary permit to practice [Sec 13] or exempted under Section 37 or who is found to has fraudulently registered [Sec 32] or has been practicing certificate revoked or suspended under the Act.

Persons convicted under offences under Section 33 of the Act - are considered non-veterinary surgeons a.k.a. bogus vet.

Any person who suspects that a bogus veterinary surgeon is practicing veterinary medicine can make a complaint and report as follows:

1. Make a police report and furnish a copy of the police report to the Malaysian Veterinary Council.
   
   or
   
   
2. Directly make a report through the form available on this website or addressing the report to the Secretary of the Council.

On the receipt of the report, the Council will study the report. The investigation of bogus veterinary surgeons is under the purview of the Director General of Veterinary Services and his appointed officers. The Director General can direct the appointment of inspecting officers to investigate a premise.

Section 36(2) of the Act allows a police officer to arrest without warrant for offences alleged to have been committed under Section 33 (after a police report and an investigation has to be made).

The complaint should be precise with sufficient details of the Complaint which includes

• Practice - Full correspondence address
• Name of Bogus Veterinary Surgeon or Person whom complaint is to be investigated
• Date and time of complaint(s)/wrong-doing
• Nature of complaint(s): BE SPECIFIC - what, who, when, how, why?
• Any other details where relevant
• Witnesses - name and contact address/telephone number
• The name of complainant and correspondence contact address

In either case where a police report is made or a complaint is made directly to the Council, after investigation, if there are grounds for prosecution, it has to be sanctioned by the public prosecutor's office.

A complainant be it private, public or veterinary surgeons can be called as a witness to give a statement or testify in investigation and prosecution.

Neither the police nor the Council can act on hearsay.

Likewise, veterinary surgeons who come across botched procedures or have knowledge of the bogus veterinary surgeons in practice can and should persuade the aggrieved party to make a police report or report to the Council.

Please note that complainants and the veterinary surgeon may be called to provide statements and can be requested to be witnesses to the activities of the bogus veterinary surgeon during investigation and prosecution.

The penalties liable on conviction are stated in section 38 of the Act: