The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has welcomed the government’s decision to create thousands of new positions for doctors but has reiterated its call to abolish the long-standing contract doctor system in public healthcare.
This follows Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement earlier today that the government will expedite the filling of 4,352 healthcare positions, including contract appointments for doctors.
In a statement, MMA president Kalwinder Singh Khaira described the initiative as a “positive and much-needed step forward” in addressing chronic concerns over job security and career advancement among government doctors.
“We hope these positions will be converted into permanent roles for contract doctors and, if so, that appointments will be based on seniority in terms of years of service,” he said.
Call for Permanent Positions
Kalwinder stressed that more positions should be created to ensure all contract doctors currently serving in the system can eventually be absorbed into permanent posts.
MMA also urged the government to take this opportunity to reinstate the previous policy of offering permanent positions to all new medical graduates, in line with practices in other civil service sectors.
“Once an adequate number of permanent posts are made available, the government should move to abolish the contract employment scheme,” he said.
According to MMA, such a move would not only restore public confidence in the healthcare system but also improve retention rates and morale among doctors, many of whom have left for private sector opportunities or positions abroad.
Background on Contract Doctor System
Since 2016, medical graduates undergoing housemanship have been appointed on contract terms rather than permanent positions due to a surplus of medical graduates. Despite improvements following the 2021 strike, many contract doctors continue to face limited career progression, prompting an exodus from the public healthcare sector.
From 2017 to 2023, a total of 3,046 contract doctors reportedly resigned from the civil service.
