The Malaysian Medical Association has welcomed the government’s decision to create thousands of new positions for doctors, but called again for the abolition of the long-standing contract doctor system in public healthcare.
This comes after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced today the government will expedite filling 4,352 healthcare positions, including contract appointments for doctors.
In a statement today, MMA president Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira described the move as a “positive and much-needed step forward” in addressing long-standing concerns over the lack of job security and career progression for government doctors.
“It is our hope that these positions will be permanent positions for contract doctors and if so, that the permanent positions will be given based on seniority in terms of years of service,” he said.
Kalwinder said more positions should be created to ensure that every contract doctor currently in the system can eventually be absorbed into permanent roles.
MMA is also urging the government to use this opportunity to reinstate the previous policy of offering permanent posts to all new doctors, in line with practices in other civil service sectors.
“Once an adequate number of permanent posts are available, the government should move on to abolish the contract employment scheme,” he said.
Such a move would not only restore confidence in the public healthcare system but also improve retention rates and morale among doctors, many of whom have left for the private sector or opportunities abroad, he said.
Since 2016, medical graduates undergoing housemanship have been offered contracts instead of permanent jobs because of a glut of medical students.
Despite some improvements after a 2021 strike, many contract doctors still face limited career prospects and leave the public system for better opportunities elsewhere.
From 2017 to 2023, it was reported that a total of 3,046 contract doctors left the civil service.
