Latest news with #951
The Star
3 days ago
- Health
- The Star
Nurses following the money abroad for more opportunities
PETALING JAYA: The brain drain from Malaysia's public healthcare sector is not limited to doctors, as nurses are also taking up offers from countries like Singapore and Saudi Arabia. M. Devishree said she chose to move to Singapore instead of working in Malaysia due to the stronger currency and proximity to home. 'I would be making RM4,000 here, but being paid S$3,000 (RM9,951) makes a difference,' she said. The 36-year-old from Kedah said she was able to fund her sibling's higher education with her Singapore salary. 'I don't think that would have been possible if I had remained in government service in Malaysia,' said Devishree, who moved after her third year of service. 'I did consider Australia. There are a lot of opportunities there as well. But I choose to settle for Singapore as I am able to travel home a lot faster since my family still lives here.' Another nurse, who only wanted to be known as Yap, also chose Singapore due to opportunities for career progression. 'There is demand for nurses in a lot of countries, especially here (Singapore) and in Saudi Arabia. 'Malaysians are flocking to these countries to be expatriate nurses because of the salary and also the fact that if you are good, you can make more as time goes by,' she said. V. Sita, who works in Jeddah, said she was able to purchase a house in her hometown in Penang within the first three years of serving in Saudi Arabia. 'The tax-free policy helps. In my case, I can get 8,000 Saudi riyals (RM9,000), while it would have taken way longer back home,' she said. 'I will not say the workload is not heavy; it's just like anywhere else. But if the salary is satisfying, I think people are willing to work. 'Expatriate nurses are also entitled to the paid vacation scheme, where you are entitled to a certain number of paid annual leave days,' she said. Sita added that it is also easy to adapt to life in Saudi Arabia as it is a growing destination for expatriates. In a written Dewan Rakyat reply in July last year, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said 2,445 nurses applied to work abroad in 2023. Citing data from the Malaysian Nursing Board, he said 1,553 or 64% were private sector nurses, while 892 (36%) were from the public sector.
Emirates 24/7
06-02-2025
- Business
- Emirates 24/7
General Pension Authority holds first board meeting for 2025
Mubarak Rashed Al Mansoori, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Pension and Social Security Authority (GPSSA), chaired the first council meeting of 2025 on Wednesday. The meeting reviewed the minutes of the previous session and outlined the strategic direction for the year ahead, based on decisions and recommendations issued by the sub-committees. The sub-committees consist of the Supreme Committee for Human Resources and Remuneration, the Investment Committee, the Audit and Risk Committee and the Development and Improvement. During the meeting, the council reviewed the developments of the Ma'ashi digital platform, approved the financial performance report for December 2024, and discussed developments in the implementation of GPSSA's strategic plan 2025-2027. It also discussed the results of GPSSA's financial position at the end of 2023 and the necessary decisions taken in response. According to GPSSA's January 2025 statistics, the number of contributors rose to 154,103, marking an increase of 28,683 compared to 125,420 in January 2024. The number of registered employers also grew to 18,500, up from 14,724 in the same period last year, reflecting an increase of 3,776 employers. Meanwhile, the number of pensioners increased by 5,202, reaching 21,051 compared to 19,714 in January 2024. The number of beneficiaries rose to 8,275, up from 8,084 for the same month last year. The total value of pensions disbursed for January 2025 climbed to AED807,942,274.64, compared to AED748,951,113.20 in January 2024, marking an increase of AED58,991,161. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
