Ex-DPP proposes bilateral treaty to recoup medical training costs

C Vignesh Kumar said such an agreement, if ratified, could be incorporated into the domestic law of both countries.

Vignesh pointed out that the World Health Organization’s Global Code of Practice encourages government-to-government agreements that yield mutual benefits and lessens the negative impacts on countries with pressing health needs.

However, he cautioned that the proposal carries legal and technical challenges, such as enforcement mechanisms, whether Singapore would agree to collect and remit the levy to Malaysia, and the likelihood of countermeasures such as higher visa fees.

“Disputes between governments could also delay the process for years, as international dispute resolution is slow and difficult,” he told FMT.

Vignesh was commenting on a call by former minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan for the federal government to seek compensation from Singapore for subsidies spent on training medical personnel who subsequently leave the country.

“If a bilateral agreement is reached, the funds could be channelled into training programmes for Malaysia’s healthcare system,” he said.

V K Raj, who specialises in labour law, however, dismissed Rahman’s idea outright.

He said Singapore is unlikely to entertain such discussions at a government-to-government level given that the doctors migrate voluntarily.

“Malaysian doctors who work in foreign countries choose to do so as they get better career prospects there, with better terms and conditions of work,” he said when contacted.

Raj also criticised Rahman for “failing to think his comment through”.

He said Malaysia’s real challenge lies in improving domestic conditions to retain its medical talent.

“To prevent the exodus, the government must offer better terms and conditions of service to doctors, whether local or foreign, to remain or come to Malaysia.”