Full relocation allowance for doctors posted to Sabah, Sarawak

The Health Ministry of Malaysia has approved full relocation allowances for medical officers posted to the states of Sabah and Sarawak, according to a recent statement. This decision aims to support the welfare of health workers and make cross-regional placements easier, addressing financial concerns that had previously burdened such personnel.

The approval, which aligns with the 20 Madani Government Initiatives for Health Ministry Personnel Welfare, includes the 2026 cohort of permanent appointments. The Finance Ministry and Public Service Department (PSD) have also granted permission for this benefit to extend to future appointments. The move comes after social media posts raised concerns among doctors about being denied relocation costs when reporting for duty in Sabah and Sarawak.

The government's concern over financial challenges faced by health workers led to this initiative, which is part of a broader strategy to tackle doctor shortages and uneven distribution of medical officers across health facilities. The government has taken several long-term measures, including offering permanent appointments to 4,500 contract medical officers this year and reducing the waiting period for the medical graduate training programme to two months.

The Health Ministry's efforts also include phasing out the contract doctor system by 2028 and ensuring that contract doctors are absorbed into permanent positions by this year.