Kuala lumpur: The Health Ministry (MOH) has reaffirmed its commitment to retaining doctors and healthcare workers within Malaysia’s public health system, despite having no legal authority to prevent them from accepting job offers abroad. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry is implementing various measures to encourage healthcare workers to stay, including expediting permanent position appointments among contract doctors.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Dzulkefly emphasized that while cross-border recruitment cannot be blocked due to individual rights and agreements like the Mutual Recognition Arrangement and the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services, which allow for labor mobility across ASEAN countries, the ministry is keen on retaining its skilled healthcare workforce. “We want our doctors, specialists, and nurses with post-basic training to stay with us,” he remarked during the national-level combating Aedes mega programme in conjunction with ASEAN Dengue Day 2025.
Dr Dzulkefly’s comments came in response to viral social media claims that hospitals in Singapore are actively recruiting Malaysian public healthcare workers, particularly doctors, with attractive salary offers. It is understood that a direct recruitment session for doctors and general practitioners is scheduled to take place at a local hotel next month.
He further stated that the ministry is expediting the transition of contract doctors to permanent positions, given the country’s critical need for medical professionals. “We won’t delay; we are expediting the process to absorb contract workers into permanent roles. As soon as there are vacancies, we will act,” he asserted.
Explaining the context of the contract doctor system, Dr Dzulkefly noted that it was initially introduced to manage the surge in medical graduates and the limited number of permanent posts over the past decade. However, he highlighted that the situation has changed, with a significant drop in medical graduates, which now allows for more new permanent appointments.