USM DOPING CONTROL CENTRE - DAILY OPERATIONS AS USUAL

PENANG, 4 June – Although the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has suspended the accreditation of Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Doping Control Centre (PKD USM), its daily operations are running as usual.

USM Vice-Chancellor, Prof Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak said that the suspension only involved testing and doping analysis.

He said that testing and analysis of samples, apart from doping analysis, such as food, environment, screening for babies and others is being carried out as usual.

“The public, especially the clients who are using the services of PKD USM need to know that apart from doping analysis, all other operations for testing and analysis is running smoothly,” he said at a press conference here, today.

Also present at the press conference were Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation, USM) Prof. Asma Ismail and Director of PKD, Prof. Aishah Abdul Latif.

Last Wednesday, WADA announced that the Centre’s accreditation had been suspended for non-compliance of the International Standards for Laboratories (ISL). However, PKD can appeal against the suspension within 21 days.

Prof Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli stressed that the issue of the suspension of PKD’s accreditation was a minor misunderstanding which could be resolved quickly.

He explained that the suspension was due to confusion arising from an analysis of a foreign athlete's sample which differed to one made by another laboratory in Germany.

“I believe it is a minor misunderstanding because WADA has claimed that PKD had failed to comply with the latest methods of analysis under the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) in conducting the analysis on the sample. On the part of PKD, we did not receive any information related to the regulations and latest methods of analysis as mentioned by WADA,” he said.

However, he explained that PKD has taken immediate steps to send the analysis of the same sample using the latest methods as stipulated by WADA.

He added that PKD USM has invited officials from WADA to see for themselves the changes that have been implemented and is confident that the problem will be resolved after the visit by WADA officials.

He went on to say that USM, and PKD in particular, hopes that this issue will not be blown out of proportion to the point where clients will misunderstand the situation and have no further dealings with PKD. This is because the activities that are carried out by PKD have national importance especially in international trade.

Picture: Prof. Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli showing PKD’s accreditation by WADA for the year 2010 after the press conference here today. Looking on are Prof. Asma (right) and Prof Aishah.


Photo: Mohd Fairus Md. Isa


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