Recruit foreign doctors to address East Malaysia shortage, says MP

The MP for Bandar Kuching, Dr Kelvin Yii, has suggested that the Malaysian government consider recruiting foreign doctors, specifically those who are international medical graduates trained in Malaysia, to help alleviate the healthcare worker shortage in East Malaysia - Sabah and Sarawak. Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Yii pointed to a concerning trend with the number of doctors failing to report for permanent postings in the region rising dramatically from 2% in 2022 to 66% in 2025.

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has reported even higher failure rates, with 70% to 76% of doctors assigned permanent postings in Sabah and Sarawak not showing up for duty on a given day. Yii cited several struggling hospitals, such as Beluran Hospital, which now only has six doctors after receiving only one new doctor, while Kudat and Sri Aman hospitals received even fewer new doctors.

In contrast, a hospital in Selangor received 150 new doctors on the same day. Yii noted that the official no-show figures may not fully capture the extent of the issue, as doctors who do not comply with their assignments may not be recorded as having resigned. The MMA has called on the government to review its incentive scheme and revert to percentage-based regional payments for doctors posted in East Malaysia, arguing that the current fixed payment system has diminished the value of these incentives.

MMA President Dr L Sivanaesan also proposed additional incentives, including a dedicated East Malaysia service allowance and fixed posting durations, to encourage doctors to stay and work in the region.