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Online Citizen
16-07-2025
- Health
- Online Citizen
Malaysia's health ministry reaffirms efforts to retain doctors as Singapore dangles lucrative job offers
MALAYSIA: Malaysia's Health Ministry (MOH) has reaffirmed its commitment to retaining doctors and healthcare workers within the public health system, despite having no legal authority to prevent them from accepting employment abroad. This comes in response to online discussions sparked by a now-deleted social media post, reportedly shared on Threads by Dr Amanda Elli, a medical doctor and health influencer. The post had advertised a recruitment event offering Malaysian doctors the opportunity to work in Singapore. According to the post, the recruitment session—organised by Talent Angels, an agency authorised to recruit for Singapore's Ministry of Health—is scheduled for August at Traders Hotel, KLCC. The job openings target medical officers and clinical associates, with applicants required to be Malaysian citizens holding a basic medical degree. Graduates from all universities, not just Universiti Malaya (UM) or Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), are reportedly welcome to apply. Dr Elli described the offer as a 'great opportunity' for Malaysian doctors to build savings and potentially return home after working overseas. 'Singapore's MOH is coming directly to Traders Hotel, KLCC to interview GPs and doctors interested in working abroad,' she wrote. 'It's such a great opportunity to gather savings for at least two years and then come back to Malaysia if homesick.' According to her post, the basic annual salary would be SGD110,000 (approximately RM365,000), excluding various benefits such as a monthly accommodation allowance, relocation support, overtime pay, bonuses, flight tickets, insurance, and multiple forms of leave. Singapore's Health Ministry is reportedly conducting direct recruitment efforts in Malaysia, targeting general practitioners and doctors willing to work abroad. According to social media reports, the positions offer an annual starting salary of S$110,000 (≈ RM365,000). 🧵1 — BFM News (@NewsBFM) July 9, 2025 In response, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad acknowledged the right of individuals to pursue overseas opportunities, noting that such cross-border recruitment is in line with international frameworks. 'We cannot block cross-border recruitment. It's an individual right, and this is aligned with the Mutual Recognition Arrangement and the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services. These agreements allow for labour mobility across ASEAN countries, as mutually agreed. That said, we want our doctors, specialists and nurses with post-basic training to stay with us,' he told reporters during the national-level Aedes control mega programme held in conjunction with ASEAN Dengue Day 2025. Nevertheless, Dzulkefly emphasised that the ministry is taking steps to encourage healthcare professionals to remain in Malaysia's healthcare system. He said the ministry is expediting the transition of contract doctors into permanent positions, especially in light of the nation's ongoing demand for medical personnel. 'We won't delay. We are expediting the process to absorb contract workers into permanent roles. As soon as there are vacancies, we will act,' he said. The contract doctor system was initially introduced to accommodate a surge in medical graduates over the past decade amid limited permanent positions. However, Dzulkefly noted that the situation has since changed. 'That situation no longer applies, as the number of medical graduates has dropped significantly. There should now be enough positions available for new permanent appointments,' he added. Housemen Numbers Have Halved Since 2019 The number of housemen at Malaysia's Health Ministry has dropped by more than 50% since 2019, raising concerns about staffing shortages in public hospitals. According to data from the ministry's Human Resources Division, there were 6,134 housemen in 2019, falling to 3,271 in 2023. This decline has also led to an uneven distribution of housemen across government hospitals that offer housemanship. A similar trend is seen in the provisional registration of medical graduates with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC), which also halved over recent years. In 2017, there were 6,147 provisionally registered graduates, compared to just 3,131 in 2022. These figures include graduates from both local and overseas medical schools. Provisional registration allows new doctors to complete general clinical training required for full registration under the Medical Act 1971. The number of medical graduates from local universities has also declined steadily. In 2017, local institutions produced 3,902 graduates, but by 2021, the number had dropped to 2,667. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad acknowledged the issue in an X post in April 2024, stating, 'There was a time where there were 6,000–7,000 medical graduates a year. Now, we have a little over 3,000, which has led to fewer housemen at hospitals.' Healthcare stakeholders have warned that the shortage, if left unresolved, will strain Malaysia's public healthcare system. Hartal Doktor Kontrak spokesman Dr Muhammad Yassin said the group had already predicted the shortfall in 2021. He noted a global trend of students moving away from science-based fields, contributing to fewer medical graduates. In Malaysia, he added, the situation is worsened by longstanding issues linked to the contract system introduced in 2016. Under this system, many Malaysian doctors are only offered short-term contracts by the government. As a result, they earn significantly less than their predecessors and lack access to key civil service benefits. Dr Yassin said this has led to mental stress among healthcare workers, reduced morale, and a greater risk of medical errors. Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr Azizan Abdul Aziz explained that the expansion of medical school enrolments in the late 1990s and early 2000s led to a surge in graduates. However, this prompted a moratorium on intake in 2011. The introduction of the contract system five years later, coupled with declining student numbers, has caused more overseas graduates to remain abroad, further compounding the local manpower shortage.
The Star
15-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
Do more to arrest medical brain drain
As a medical doctor, I feel compelled to speak candidly about the ongoing exodus of our medical professionals to countries like Singapore, Australia, and the UK. The issue is not new—but it has become expedient. I acknowledge Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Ahmad's recent comments that the government is taking steps to retain talent. His sincerity is evident, and I believe he genuinely cares about this crisis. However, goodwill and promises alone are not enough. We must confront the systemic flaws that are pushing our healthcare workers to leave. While the Minister cited the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services to justify cross-border movement of doctors as 'personal freedom,' he needs to tackle the deeper issue: What we are witnessing is not merely a wave of personal decisions—it is a sign of structural failure compelling our doctors to leave. Many young doctors are caught in a contract system with no clear pathway to permanent appointments. Opportunities for specialist training remain limited and non-transparent. Salaries are stagnant, career progression uncertain, and public hospitals are stretched beyond capacity. Under such conditions, departing is not an easy choice—it becomes a necessary one. What's worse, a mechanism that was supposed to be temporary has turned into long-term institutional neglect. Some doctors serve for six years and still face career instability. Meanwhile, their peers abroad are building stable, fulfilling lives. When it comes to retaining talent, salary is only the surface issue—what truly matters is the system. If the government is sincere about keeping our doctors, then it must provide them with a clear and achievable pathway for the future: 1. The country must have a long-term human resource plan; 2. Hard work must not be buried by bureaucracy; 3. Opportunities for further training must be institutionalised—not left to chance; 4. Promotion pathways must be fair, transparent, and based on merit—not connections; 5. Public service must be guided by professionalism—not swayed by political trends. The government must do more than express hope—we must deliver certainty. Retention isn't just about salaries. It's about creating a system that offers fairness, opportunity, and a future. In this context, MCA would like to propose the following reforms: 1. Legislate a clear pathway for contract doctors to be absorbed permanently, based on service length and performance. 2. Expand and reform specialist training programmes to ensure fair and merit-based access. 3. Create a National Medical Workforce Blueprint (2025–2040) to guide long-term planning and policy. 4. Revise the salary structure and introduce incentives, including rural service allowances and development grants. 5. Establish a Medical Talent Retention and Repatriation Council to actively bring Malaysian doctors back from abroad, much like Taiwan has done. It must be emphasised that Malaysia doesn't lack doctors—we lack a system they believe in. It's not just about losing people; we're losing their trust. If we still believe in having a healthcare system that is professional, compassionate, and sustainable, then reform must start now. Not with more words—but with real action. Retaining medical talent is not just a staffing issue—it is a national responsibility and a test of our commitment to those who care for us all. Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon MCA deputy president
The Sun
12-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
MOH expedites permanent roles for doctors to retain healthcare talent
KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has reiterated its focus on retaining doctors and healthcare workers in Malaysia's public sector, even as it acknowledges the lack of legal power to stop them from pursuing opportunities abroad. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad emphasised ongoing efforts to incentivise staff to remain, including accelerating permanent placements for contract doctors. He clarified that while international recruitment falls under regional labour agreements, the ministry is prioritising local retention. 'We cannot block cross-border recruitment, it's an individual right. This is also aligned with the Mutual Recognition Arrangement and the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services,' he said during the ASEAN Dengue Day 2025 event. The statement follows reports of Singaporean hospitals offering high salaries to attract Malaysian medical professionals. A recruitment drive targeting doctors is reportedly scheduled next month at a local hotel. Dzulkefly assured that the ministry is fast-tracking permanent roles for contract doctors to address staffing shortages. 'We won't delay; we are expediting the process to absorb contract workers into permanent roles. As soon as there are vacancies, we will act,' he said. The contract system was initially implemented to manage an influx of medical graduates, but with numbers now declining, Dzulkefly confirmed sufficient vacancies for permanent hires. - Bernama
