Malaysia is facing a critical moment in its medical workforce crisis. I have received the latest reply in Parliament which confirms that more than eleven thousand contract medical officers are still serving in government hospitals nationwide as of June 2025. This number represents over one third of the entire medical workforce within the Ministry of Health, proving that the contract system remains heavily relied upon and far from being resolved. At the same time, the country continues to witness a worrying outflow of doctors and specialists toward the private sector and foreign healthcare systems, putting Malaysia in danger of losing experienced professionals faster than we can train replacements.
The reply also reveals that only twelve specialist doctors remain under contract, which is an alarmingly small figure and reflects the severe rate at which specialists are resigning or relocating abroad. If this trend continues, Malaysia will soon face serious shortages in essential fields such as anaesthesiology, emergency care, psychiatry, oncology and paediatrics. I urge the Ministry of Health to recognise this situation as a national emergency because without a stable base of specialists, the quality and safety of patient care will decline sharply.
While I acknowledge the government’s efforts to introduce measures such as improved allowances, better starting salaries, a larger number of permanent placements, the Full Paying Patient model, expanded access to overseas training and a more structured career progression pathway, these initiatives still do not match the competitiveness of the private sector or the financial and career incentives offered overseas. Doctors who leave consistently cite the same reasons which include lower pay, heavier workload, slower promotion paths and the absence of long term job security. Unless these root causes are addressed in a decisive manner, Malaysia will continue to struggle against the global competition for medical talent.
It is time for the government to introduce a credible and permanent retention strategy. Malaysia needs a clear commitment to phasing out the contract system, a predictable and transparent pathway to specialisation, a fairer distribution of workload, a competitive salary structure linked to performance, a stronger mentoring culture for junior doctors and a locum framework that does not push specialists away. Our healthcare system cannot rely indefinitely on sacrifice and goodwill. The dedication of doctors must be supported by policies that provide dignity, stability and a future they can confidently build on.
I also call on the Ministry of Health to table a comprehensive doctor retention roadmap in Parliament. Malaysians deserve to know how the government plans to secure the medical workforce for the next decade and how we intend to stop the next wave of brain drain before it becomes irreversible. Doctors are the backbone of our healthcare system. If we fail to retain them today, every Malaysian patient will pay the price tomorrow.