End contract doctor system with better pay, fairer postings, MMA urges

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) is urging the commitment to abolish Malaysia's contract doctor system to be accompanied by better pay, fairer placements, and clearer training pathways. MMA Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers and Specialists (SCHOMOS) chairman Dr Sean Thum Chern Choong expressed relief at the announcement in Budget 2027, but emphasized that implementation would require follow-through.

Thum highlighted that the uncertainty surrounding doctors' contracts affects specialist training, family commitments, financial decisions, and their willingness to remain in public healthcare. Permanent positions alone are insufficient; better remuneration, fairer placements, and improved working conditions are also necessary to retain doctors in the public sector.

Reflecting on his own experience, Thum began housemanship on a three-year contract in 2017, extending it during the Covid-19 crisis. When the contracts ended, he faced uncertainty about future placements, despite working alongside permanent colleagues under the same conditions.

Dr Amirul Azhar Zulkifli, a medical officer at IIUM Hospital Ahmad Shah, echoed the call for clarity in implementing the plan to abolish contract doctors. He asked whether doctors whose contracts had expired or left public service due to family commitments would be given the opportunity to return. Amirul Azhar welcomed the announcement and praised advocates of the movement, stressing that it fights solely for doctors' welfare and healthcare workers' rights, regardless of the political party in power.

He emphasized the need for follow-up measures to protect and improve doctors' welfare to retain them in service and encourage new generations to join the profession.