Singapore's RM385k offer sparks brain drain fears
Senator Dr R.A. Lingeshwaran said the highly attractive annual package of RM385,000 – inclusive of accommodation and other benefits – could hasten the exodus of Malaysian medical professionals abroad.
"What is even more alarming is that the eligibility criteria have been relaxed. Malaysian medical graduates may now apply without having to sit for a qualifying examination as was previously required. Even the cost of living in Singapore, including rent, is covered.
"This offer is especially tempting for our young doctors who are still trying to find their footing within the domestic system," he said in a statement.
The issue came to light after HartalDoktorKontrak, a medical advocacy account on X, shared a promotional poster for a recruitment session aimed at medical officers and professionals. The session is scheduled to take place at a prominent hotel in Kuala Lumpur next month.
Dr Lingeshwaran, who formerly served as director of Hospital Sungai Bakap in Penang, stressed that the government must urgently introduce comprehensive reforms to the national medical career ecosystem to prevent further loss of local talent to foreign markets.
"I acknowledge that this is not a new issue. It has been embedded in the system for many years. However, I believe that under the current Madani government led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the time is ripe for holistic reforms in the medical profession.
"Many healthcare workers, from junior doctors to consultants, believe that this administration is more receptive and willing to listen. But these sentiments must be translated into immediate action – not mere rhetoric.
"What has happened to the increases in on-call and specialist allowances announced in Budget 2025? We are already in July, and yet nothing has materialised.
"This erodes trust in the system, especially when neighbouring countries are acting swiftly with competitive offers while we remain mired in bureaucracy and uncertainty," he said.
Dr Lingeshwaran also said that nearly 40 per cent of graduates from the RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus (RUMC) in Penang had chosen to complete their housemanship in Ireland or the United Kingdom, rather than serve in Malaysian public hospitals.
RUMC – formerly known as Penang Medical College – is a branch campus of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and University College Dublin. It is recognised as a university by the Higher Education Ministry.
"This is a clear sign that our young doctors are losing faith in the system. Statistics show that more than 6,400 medical officers resigned between 2019 and 2023. This is no longer a minor leak – it's a wave that threatens the resilience of our public healthcare system," said Dr Lingeshwaran.
He said that the issue went beyond remuneration.
"Young doctors seek certainty, support, and a secure future. Without urgent and structural reform, we risk losing even more high-quality professionals.
"The time to act is now. We must demonstrate our appreciation for our doctors not just with words, but with action. Reform must be implemented – not delayed," he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
11 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Court awards RM4.1mil to teen disabled at birth by delayed C-section
JOHOR BARU: A teenager who suffered severe brain damage at birth due to a delayed caesarean procedure was awarded RM4.1 million in damages by the High Court here, which found a doctor and the owner of a private maternity home liable for medical negligence. Judge Nurulhuda Nuraini Nor ruled that the 16-year-old boy, who now suffers permanent disability and is fully dependent on his mother, had been deprived of timely medical intervention after the doctor failed to perform an urgent C-section promptly. The boy was awarded RM600,000 in general damages and RM3.5 million for future rehabilitation care, while his mother received RM80,000 for emotional distress and anxiety. The court also ordered the doctor and the maternity home owner to pay RM100,000 in costs. In her written judgment, Nurulhuda held the doctor personally liable for breaching his duty of care to both mother and child, and found the owner vicariously liable for the negligence that occurred on their premises. The mother filed the lawsuit in 2020 on behalf of her son, who was born on Sept 28, 2009, at the privately run maternity clinic in Johor Baru. According to court documents, she had sought help at the centre around 10am, where the doctor advised a C-section due to the umbilical cord being wrapped around the baby's neck. However, the surgery was not performed until 7pm, -a delay the court found inexcusable. The newborn was sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital at 5.30am on Oct 1, 2009, after he displayed signs of lethargy, poor sucking reflex, and breathing difficulty. He was diagnosed with severe hypoglycaemia and infection. Later assessments confirmed he had suffered irreversible brain damage. Despite temporary discharge, the baby's condition deteriorated and he was eventually referred to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, where a consultant child neurologist confirmed the extent of the injury. The defendants represented by counsel B Thinesh and Raja Eileen Soraya Raja Aman, have since filed an appeal against the decision.
New Straits Times
11 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Court awards RM4.1mil to teen disabled by delayed C-section
JOHOR BARU: A teenager who suffered severe brain damage at birth due to a delayed caesarean procedure was awarded RM4.1 million in damages by the High Court here, which found a doctor and the owner of a private maternity home liable for medical negligence. Judge Nurulhuda Nuraini Nor ruled that the 16-year-old boy, who now suffers permanent disability and is fully dependent on his mother, had been deprived of timely medical intervention after the doctor failed to perform an urgent C-section promptly. The boy was awarded RM600,000 in general damages and RM3.5 million for future rehabilitation care, while his mother received RM80,000 for emotional distress and anxiety. The court also ordered the doctor and the maternity home owner to pay RM100,000 in costs. In her written judgment, Nurulhuda held the doctor personally liable for breaching his duty of care to both mother and child, and found the owner vicariously liable for the negligence that occurred on their premises. The mother filed the lawsuit in 2020 on behalf of her son, who was born on Sept 28, 2009, at the privately run maternity clinic in Johor Baru. According to court documents, she had sought help at the centre around 10am, where the doctor advised a C-section due to the umbilical cord being wrapped around the baby's neck. However, the surgery was not performed until 7pm, -a delay the court found inexcusable. The newborn was sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital at 5.30am on Oct 1, 2009, after he displayed signs of lethargy, poor sucking reflex, and breathing difficulty. He was diagnosed with severe hypoglycaemia and infection. Later assessments confirmed he had suffered irreversible brain damage. Despite temporary discharge, the baby's condition deteriorated and he was eventually referred to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, where a consultant child neurologist confirmed the extent of the injury. The defendants represented by counsel B Thinesh and Raja Eileen Soraya Raja Aman, have since filed an appeal against the decision. The plaintiff was represented by lawyers R. Jayabalan, N. Jegatheesan, Christopher Tan, and S. Shamilan.
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
High penalties trap consumers in unwanted wellness subscriptions
KUALA LUMPUR: Consumers attempting to cancel unwanted wellness subscriptions are being hit with penalties as high as RM58,000, the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) said. NCCC senior manager Saral James Maniam said that the RM58,000 penalty applied to just one service. The centre has also received complaints involving digital and media services. She said the NCCC had observed a rise in complaints from consumers who felt trapped by unwanted subscriptions due to excessive delays, steep penalties or complicated cancellation procedures. The centre is preparing a report covering 2019 to 2024 and does not intend to reveal complaint totals until its expected release in November. Saral said, however, that the figures were alarming. She said 77 per cent of the complaints received were related to wellness services, such as gyms, beauty, skin and weight management, with digital services in telecommunication and streaming making up the remaining 23 per cent. She said gym memberships topped the list at 42 per cent of total complaints, mostly from those aged between 18 and 40. Weight management programmes, which often come with hefty price tags and lengthy contracts, made up a further nine per cent. "This was followed by spa and beauty services at 14 per cent and facial or cosmetic skin treatments at 12 per cent, mostly involving working professionals and urban women aged between 20 and 45. "In digital and media services, telecommunications contributed 13 per cent and streaming subscriptions 10 per cent. "These services span all age groups, but subscription traps disproportionately affect elderly users and digitally vulnerable groups, including those unfamiliar with opt-out processes or digital billing," Saral told the New Sunday Times. Saral said more elderly consumers were also reporting complaints involving telecommunication services, especially over unsolicited charges and unclear auto-renewal plans. She said penalties imposed on consumers seeking to terminate contracts typically range from RM1,500 to RM5,000 for gym memberships, RM1,300 to RM10,000 for spa and beauty services and RM6,400 to RM40,000 for skin treatments. Other complaints included termination charges for telecommunication packages (RM300 to RM3,800), broadcast TV subscriptions (RM170 to RM10,000) and weight management programmes (RM1,500 to RM58,000). "Signing up for a plan is simple, but cancellation is difficult. "In many cases, consumers unknowingly commit to long-term contracts through free trials that automatically convert into paid plans. "These practices, whether designed intentionally or by inertia, unfairly skew the marketplace in favour of businesses, often at the expense of consumer rights and financial wellbeing." Saral said while the Consumer Protection Act 1999 offers safeguards, particularly for prepaid "future services", such as gym or tuition packages, it does not cover digital or auto-renewing subscriptions. Telecommunications contracts, she said, remain a regulatory grey area. Under current practices, service providers are allowed to impose early termination penalties at their own discretion, with little to no consumer recourse. "This puts consumers in a difficult position, either to tolerate poor service or pay a hefty sum to escape." Saral added that there was no standardised requirement for companies to waive penalties in cases of unresolved service failure. CONSUMER ADVICE She advised consumers to review contracts and cancellation terms before signing up, and to use credit cards instead of debit cards for recurring charges, which offer more protection for dispute resolution. "Do not scan QR codes or provide card information without verifying the merchant. "In one case, a consumer was charged RM99 after scanning a QR code on a water meter from a third-party service provider," She urged affected consumers to lodge complaints through my or take matters to the Tribunal for Consumer Claims. CALL FOR STRONGER PROTECTION Saral said Malaysia should adopt global best practices to close loopholes and strengthen consumer protections. She said the government should establish a centralised redress platform — a one-stop portal involving the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, Health Ministry and local councils — to streamline licensing, regulation and consumer complaints. "Each of these agencies and ministries is responsible for licensing, regulation and consumer redress in their domains," she said. Saral urged regulators to mandate clear disclosures on contract duration, auto-renewal terms, cancellation procedures and total upfront and recurring costs, practices already in place in countries, like Australia and the United Kingdom. "In Australia, the Competition and Consumer Commission enforces mandatory pre-contract disclosures. "In the United Kingdom, companies must comply with the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, ensuring full disclosure." Saral proposed a cooling-off period for high-value contracts, especially for gyms, slimming centres and beauty packages.
