Health Ministry to engage PSD for new permanent MO positions to tackle brain drain, says Lukanisman

The Star

12-07-2025

KULAI: The Health Ministry has engaged in discussions with the Public Service Department (PSD) to fill new permanent positions for medical officers.
Deputy Health Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni said that this initiative aimed to alleviate the burden on medical officers and fill vacancies in public healthcare facilities nationwide.
"The authority to create permanent medical officer positions does not rest with the Health Ministry. Consequently, the ministry has submitted a request to increase permanent positions.
"Health director-general Datuk Dr Mahathar Abd Wahab, has reviewed the current imbalance in the distribution and placement of medical officers based on nationwide needs," he said to reporters after launching the World No Tobacco Day and World Tuberculosis Day at IOI Mall here on Saturday (July 12).
Also present were Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon and Johor Health Department director Dr Mohtar Pungut@Ahmad.
He made these remarks in response to Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira's call for the government to abolish the contract appointment system for doctors to restore their confidence in continuing to serve in the public sector.
ALSO READ: Health Ministry to launch bullying management guidelines
Lukanisman added that the ministry had completed the first phase of the e-placement involving medical officers.
"We had around 2,231 placements for the first phase and a total of 6,414 permanent posts. This phase has been completed.
"Medical officers need to understand that these permanent positions are for the entire country. Currently, 60% of applications from medical officers have been fulfilled, with placements made at health facilities as per their requests.
"We still have vacancies for medical officers in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan. The ministry appeals to medical officers to accept these placements, as they are permanent positions.
"We will also consider appeals from medical officers because it is very unfair for the people of Sabah and Sarawak to be deprived of medical services," he said.
In a related development, he noted that the government was seeking ways to retain local medical officers and prevent their migration abroad by enhancing the staffing system and improving the welfare of healthcare workers.
Lukanisman said the ministry was committed to ensuring a better work-life balance for local doctors, as Malaysia faced competition from hospitals and medical companies in Singapore offering attractive salary packages.
He said that the government was paying serious attention to issues such as on-call duties, fatigue, bullying in hospitals, and healthcare staff welfare.
"Although the government is not yet able to offer salaries on par with other countries, we are improving the system to provide a better work-life balance at least. Issues like on-call duties, burnout among medical officers, and bullying in hospitals are being discussed, as these cannot be solved merely through awareness campaigns," said Lukanisman.
It was reported on July 9 that Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) conducted interview sessions with doctors and general practitioners (GPs) in Malaysia at Traders Hotel KLCC, Kuala Lumpur. – Bernama