Doctors shortage in East M'sia to worsen without pay reform, says Dr Sim
KUCHING (July 12): Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian has reiterated calls for improved remuneration for Malaysian doctors, warning that continued brain drain – especially from Sabah and Sarawak – could place greater strain on the national healthcare system.
'We cannot continue with the notion that 'we are cheap and good'. In 2025, we are good, but we need to be paid better,' he said in a Facebook post.
Dr Sim was responding to Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president and fellow Sarawakian, Dato Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira, who recently urged the federal government to speed up reforms in the national health service.
Dr Khaira warned that failure to act could intensify the outflow of Malaysian doctors to neighbouring countries, which offer far more attractive recruitment packages.
Highlighting the long training path for doctors – six years of university and at least seven more to specialise – Dr Sim said many are burdened by rising living costs despite the stronger ringgit.
'Medicine may be a noble calling, but we must be realistic. Doctors have families to support, children to educate, and loans to repay, despite the strengthening ringgit,' he stressed.
He pointed to Sarawak's rapidly aging population and declining birth rate, noting that the state is expected to become Malaysia's first aging society by 2028, making access to healthcare professionals more critical than ever.
Based on Malaysian standards, Sarawak should have around 6,000 doctors by 2025. However, Dr Sim revealed the state currently only has 4,000, and relies heavily on 2,000 doctors from Peninsular Malaysia.
Even with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) producing 150 medical graduates a year, he estimated it would take over a decade for Sarawak to meet the national doctor-to-population ratio.
'Given the financial opportunities, the training opportunities, the job satisfaction opportunities (offered in other countries), the brain drain to other countries will get worse and worse especially from Sabah and Sarawak unless we act now and pay better,' he cautioned.
Dr Sim also noted that the Sarawak government, under Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, recognises the need for better civil service pay.
This is reflected in the two-month year-end bonus for 2024 and the continued monthly allowances for Sarawak civil servants in 2025.
As State Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, Dr Sim pledged to continue advocating for solutions, including working closely with the federal Ministry of Health on advancing Sarawak's health autonomy under Article 95(C) of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
The legal provision was amended in 2021 to allow greater devolution of powers to Sarawak.
He said the impact of these efforts would only become visible within the next five to ten years. brain drain doctors shortage Dr Sim Kui Hian east malaysia lead pay reform
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