Give dentists permanent posts, urges group

The Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) has called on the government to provide permanent employment opportunities for contract dental officers, similar to the permanent positions recently announced for other healthcare professionals. Under the 2027 budget, the government will offer permanent positions to over 9,000 contract medical officers, but the MDA believes all healthcare professionals should be given fair consideration for permanent appointments.

Dr Chong Zhen Feng, president of the MDA, stated that some dental officers have had their contracts expire without renewal, leading to a loss of trained dental professionals from the public healthcare system. He urged the government to review the status of affected contract dental officers and consider permanent appointments, alongside a sustainable workforce strategy to prevent further loss of experienced dental professionals.

Chong emphasized that investment in training and developing dental professionals is crucial, as their experience and commitment are valuable national healthcare resources that should be retained wherever possible. Dental officers play a vital role in providing preventive and clinical oral healthcare, especially to schoolchildren, underserved communities, and those relying on public dental facilities.