PETALING JAYA: Malaysia must urgently recognise nursing degrees, improve salaries and reform working conditions to stem the outflow of local nurses to overseas healthcare systems, health experts warn.
Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia member Datin Dr Aishah Ali said the Bachelor of Nursing degree is still not officially recognised by the Public Service Department although it has been offered since 1993.
This means many graduates are placed under diploma-level salary schemes, limiting their career growth.
“Graduate teachers are placed at Grade 41. Why not graduate nurses?” she asked, urging the government to ensure pay and promotions match qualifications.
On Aug 18, Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad in a Dewan Rakyat written reply, said until June 30, there were 10,027 vacancies for nurses in the public sector.
Data showed that a total of 1,754 nurses have resigned from public hospitals from 2020 to last year.
However, during the same period, the ministry appointed 8,121 staff nurses in public hospitals.
He said the ministry is taking concrete and long-term measures to address the problem.
Dr Dzulkefly said the quota of trainee nurses has also been increased from 1,000 to 3,000 intakes, which is a three-fold increase.
He added that the Health Ministry will offer permanent Grade U5 nursing posts under exemptions provided by the Public Service Transformation, moving away from interim contract appointments.
The Higher Education Ministry also lifted the moratorium on Diploma in Nursing programmes at public and private institutions from Aug 1 last year, allowing more colleges and universities to offer the course.
Meanwhile, the Higher Education Ministry, through the Malaysian Nursing Board, has relaxed entry requirements for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) school leavers pursuing the diploma to boost enrollment at training institutes and higher education institution.
Entry requirements for nursing diploma programmes were relaxed from five to three credits for applicants with SPM.
Dr Aishah cautioned that the Health Ministry’s decision to lower entry requirements for nursing diplomas could compromise patient safety.
“Nurses need a strong foundation in mathematics and science to safely calculate drug dosages. Lowering standards is not the solution.”
She highlighted that Malaysia’s nursing curriculum is respected globally and adopted in countries such as China and parts of Africa.Yet, local nurses remain undervalued.
“In countries like New Zealand and the United States, nurses are treated as equals by doctors. Here, we are still seen as subordinates,” said Dr Aishah, who has worked abroad.
She said locally, nurses are often promoted only to be transferred out of state, disrupting family life and affecting retention.
Dr Aishah also flagged mismatches in job placement, such as assigning non-midwifery nurses to maternal clinics.
“In Saudi Arabia, nurses are placed according to their expertise. We should do the same here.”
Dr Aishah urged the Health Ministry, universities and nursing bodies to unite and craft a long-term strategy centred on recognition, reward and respect.
Malayan Nurses Union president Saaidah Athman expressed similar concerns and called on the government to review and improve benefits that were frozen such as the critical, shift and transport allowances.
“The government must re-evaluate existing allowances or introduce new ones to encourage nurses to stay,” she said.
Saaidah also pushed for better healthcare facilities, smoother promotion pathways and new roles such as clinical nurses and nurse researchers.
Nursing, she added, should be promoted as a career from primary school to build early interest.
Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh described Malaysia’s nurse shortage in the private sector as “semi-critical,” adding that thousands would continue to leave and lured by better opportunities overseas although replacements are hired.
“Hiring foreign nurses in the country can take from six to eight months, while in other countries, it’s much shorter despite being more stringent. So sometimes these candidates give up waiting.”
He said local private hospitals could not match overseas salaries without raising healthcare costs and urged the government to streamline recruitment processes and promote nursing as a viable career.
Nurse consultant and M&T Network Consultancy Services CEO Mariam Mohd Nasir said the increasing migration of Malaysian nurses highlighted both the strength of local training and weaknesses in the system.
“Our nurses are in demand globally because they’re well-trained, adaptable, and professional. But they leave because they don’t feel valued or heard,” said Mariam, who is also part of the Malaysian Nurses Association.
She said higher salaries alone would not solve the issue, as nurses also want structured career paths, postgraduate education, mental health support and work-life balance.
“Stop viewing this as a temporary issue. Real action is needed,” she said, calling for better nurse-patient ratios, proper rest periods and administrative reforms.
