Mustafagander,
Like I said, that's the way it is in the US, apparently things are different in Oz. From the US aviation regulations Part 91.177 b): Climb. Climb to a higher minimum IFR altitude shall begin immediately after passing the point beyond which that minimum altitude applies, except that when ground obstructions intervene, the point beyond which that higher minimum altitude applies shall be crossed at or above the applicable MCA (minimum crossing altitude)
Could be a rather nasty misunderstanding for a US pilot flying IFR in Oz. It's not clear where jdelfman flies, but obviously if it's in Oz, he'd best cross the fix at MEA.
jdelfman, sorry, still no answer to your question.