History of MIMLS
MIMLS is a non-profit professional organisation representing the medical laboratory professionals in Malaysia. It was established in 1988 as the Malaysian Federation of Medical Laboratory Technologists (MFMLT) from the merging of 3 medical laboratory technologist associations from University of Malaya (UM), National University of Malaysia (UKM) and Institute for Medical Research (IMR), Ministry of Health Malaysia.
Attempts to organise Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLT) into a cohesive group first took place in 1967 with the formation of the Malaysian Society of Medical Laboratory Technologists (MSMLT) representing MLTs in the University of Malaya (UM). This was quickly followed by the formation of the Institute of Medical and Health Laboratory Technology (IMHLT) representing MLTs in the Ministry of Health’s Institute for Medical Research (IMR) and the National Institute for Medical Laboratory Technology (NIMLT) representing MLTs in the National University of Malaysia (UKM).
The need for a single corporate body speaking with a common voice was not unrecognised. Many attempts were made toward achieving this, but due to various factors single national organisation had eluded us. Unnatural it may seem and embarrassing at times, but the situation was not totally devoid of success. The next twenty years witnessed a remarkable albeit uneven, development of the medical laboratory technology profession. The change of nomenclature from laboratory assistant to medical laboratory technologist; the numerous scientific conferences, seminars and workshops; the existence of two MLT journals; and the hundreds of scientific papers published by local medical technologists bear witness to the progress that has been achieved.
Recognising too the negative effects of not having a single organisation for the profession, fresh attempts were made in September 1986 to unify all three MLT organisations in the country. Mr. Henry Lee, Mr. Kam Fong Kwong, Mr. Ng Lik Lin and Ms. Annie Soh met and drafted a constitution for presentation to the three bodies. The formation of a federation was agreed upon the following year – twenty years after the first organisation was formed. It was clear in the minds of the drafters of the constitution at that time, that the ultimate goal was the establishment of a single national institute.
Inaugural meeting of the Malaysian Federation of Medical Laboratory Technologists (MFMLT) was held on 23 July 1987 at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. A Protem Committee was formed and lead by Chairman Mr. Woon Sung Thong, Vice-Chairman Mr. Kam Fong Kwong, Honorary Secretary Mr. Ng Qui Hin, Honorary Treasurer Ms. Faridah Robiah Ismail and Board Members Mr. Rusli Ibrahim, Mr. Mohd Ismail Wahab, Mr. Sulaiman Omar, Mr. Ng Lik Lin and Ms. Annie Soh. Subsequently, the Malaysian Federation of Medical Laboratory Technologists (MFMLT) was officially formed on 6 September 1988.
The historical significance of the birth of the MFMLT was further enhanced by the occurrence of important events during that time, such as the proposed establishment of a Conjoint Board, the MLT Registration Bill, the Pathology Laboratory Bill and the new Biomedical Sciences Degree programme.
After 3 years of working closely under a unified federation, the three MLT organisations under MFMLT were dissolved. On 31 December 1992, MFMLT is officially incorporated as the Malaysian Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences (MIMLS). Currently, our members comprise of medical laboratory professionals from both public and private sectors across Malaysia.
MIMLS is a member of the Malaysian Confederation of Allied Health Professional Associations (MyCAHP), which is an umbrella body for allied health professional associations in Malaysia. Member associations of MyCAHP represent 21 different allied health professions under the Allied Health Professions Act 2016, such as audiologists, dieticians, physiotherapists and so on.
Internationally, MIMLS is a member of the ASEAN Association for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (AACLS). AACLS is represented by ASEAN member associations from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. MIMLS is also one of the founding members of the Asia Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (AAMLS). AAMLS is represented by member associations across Asia including Brunei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. Besides, MIMLS is also a member of the International Federation of Biomedical Laboratory Science (IFBLS), which is an association of national societies in 36 countries, representing more than 185,000 biomedical laboratory scientists and technologists worldwide.