Recruitment
Malaysia seeks urgent recruitment of over 4,000 healthcare workers
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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the hiring drive aims to resolve vacancies in Malaysia’s healthcare sector
The Malaysian government will fast-track the hiring of 4,352 medical personnel to address the country’s understaffed healthcare sector, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced last week.
In a special live TV broadcast, the Prime Minister acknowledged public complaints over the alarming vacancies of medical professionals and that the recruitment drive, which includes openings for contract-based doctors, will help plug gaps in hospitals and clinics nationwide.
Health Minister Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad told the state-owned Bernama news agency on Monday that the government will bypass conventional processes to expedite recruitment, but urged practitioners to obtain the Annual Practising Certificate (APC) before December 31, 2026.
The measure comes as Malaysia faces a chronic shortage of healthcare workers, who often travel overseas for better pay and career opportunities. In early July, Singapore’s Ministry of Health went viral on social media for offering Malaysian doctors a starting salary of RM385,000 ($90,000) per year. In comparison, the annual salaries for doctors in Malaysia range between RM102,000 ($24,000) and RM120,000 ($28,000), according to Jobstreet.
Dr. Ahmad told reporters that the Malaysian government cannot legally prevent healthcare workers from taking up jobs overseas, citing ASEAN labour mobility agreements. However, he also emphasised government initiatives to strengthen local retention efforts, including clearer career pathways for doctors, nurses, and medical specialists.
The government’s announcement to fast-track the recruitment of healthcare workers was well-received by medical associations and civil society groups across Malaysia. However, many still stressed the need for long-term reforms.
Malaysian Medical Association president Dr. Kalwinder Singh Kaira said the measure was a ‘much-needed step forward’ in strengthening the country’s healthcare system. He also called for more permanent positions and to gradually phase out the contract employment scheme for doctors.
“We hope that these will be permanent positions for contract doctors. If so, the permanent positions should be given based on seniority in terms of years of service,” he said in a statement to Bernama.
He added that more permanent positions for doctors in the public healthcare system would help restore morale and retain talent, aside from ‘providing job security and clear pathways for career progression.’
The Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) movement, which advocates for the rights of Malaysian contract doctors, also welcomed the announcement but noted that it is not a long-term solution for the nationwide healthcare worker shortage.
“As long as salary and allowance issues are not seriously addressed, it won’t stop the trend of doctors migrating overseas, such as Singapore”, an HDK spokesman said in a statement.
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