Indian Siddha practitioners in Malaysia need support.

The Indian Siddha practitioners of Malaysia are a group comprising less than one hundred in number. It needs support from the government of Tamil Nadu. The Siddha community of the state and the Tamil diaspora for the encouragement and the promotion of the traditional healing system in Malaysia.

Siddha is the system of treatment that first originated in Tamil Nadu, continues to be still confined within the state boundaries when other streams of the Indian medical system clustered together as AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) have flourished in several Asian countries and are gaining popularity globally. The reason cited for this stagnation of Siddha medicine’s growth is a lack of encouragement by the government and universities. Although Ayurveda and other medical systems have become globally popular and are accepted by many people everywhere, Siddha is not very popular even in the home state. The Malaysian Siddha practitioners seek a change in the government’s attitude and academic authorities towards this system and want them to encourage its promotion and growth.

Dr. Paramasivam said that the system has wide acceptance in that country. Whether they be Indian or Malaysian, the people there generally prefer traditional Indian medicines to Chinese that are available in plenty. He is the Malaysian Association of Traditional Indian Medicine (MATIM) secretary.

The Malaysian Association of Traditional Indian Medicine (MATIM) is known in Malaysia as Pertubuhan Perubatan Traditional Indian Malaysia (PEPTIM)

According to him, if the government of Tamil Nadu initiates some programs to promote the system, it will become a big market for Siddha medications in the coming ten years. He said the people of Malaysia were well aware of Ayurveda, but only the Indian Malaysians had any knowledge about Siddha.

Pertubuhan Perubatan Traditional Indian Malaysia (PEPTIM) will write a letter to the honorable chief minister of Tamil Nadu requesting his support for the practitioners and the system.

“We need all kinds of support, especially in education and manufacturing (academy and industry). Students of Indian Malaysians are interested in doing medical courses in the Siddha system, but, unfortunately, there is no facility for educational programs in the country. Suppose the government of Tamil Nadu lets students from Malaysia study courses in institutions in Chennai or other places. In that case, Malaysia will get more Siddha graduates recognized by the local government here. Malaysian health authorities support traditional Indian medicines imported from India and distributed to all the clinics. Alongside, we need one Siddha medical college and a drug manufacturing unit,” he claimed.

Dr. Kanniappan Kannaiah is a member of Pertubuhan Perubatan Traditional Indian Malaysia (PEPTIM) and a senior Siddha varmologist (varma therapist). He practices in government clinics in Kaula Lumpur. He asserted the government of Malaysia is now taking concrete steps to encourage these Indian traditional treatments in the country with some good projects and programs. He noted everybody has now understood the efficacy of Siddha medications, and the total number of people availing the system is increasing every day. He also added that the Indian people in Malaysia are currently waiting for opportunities from the Indian government, particularly from the government of Tamil Nadu, to learn the Siddha system in India. According to him, if the state government offers some scholarships and other incentives for this traditional system in Tamil Nadu, several students from Malaysia can come to India and enroll in the courses.

The medical systems of Indian origin have gained renewed attention from the people in the country and across the world. Yoga and Ayurveda, in particular, have gained worldwide popularity. On the other hand, Siddha hasn’t managed to capture global attention.