Press Statement
17th July 2021

The Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhiaddin Yassin and Minister of Health Dr Adham Baba must reveal immediately to the public the outcome and Cabinet’s decision on the appeal by contract doctors to be appointed to permanent positions in the civil service.

This is in view of promises made by both of them to these contract healthcare workers that their concerns and demands will be discussed thoroughly at the Cabinet meeting last Wednesday.

The Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba was even reported advising the contract doctors to be patient as the matter would be discussed by the cabinet.

However, until today, no official statement or direction has been revealed by any of them to the dismal of many health workers involved and even the public at large who are standing in solidarity with them to demand a fair and durable solution for our contract healthcare workers.

How can the Minister demand them to be patient if they do not give any clarification on what was discussed and decided to give a sense of direction for these contract healthcare workers? This issue cannot be swept under the carpet anymore or excuses given to further delay the problem without any substantive resolution to it.

That is why I call upon the government to resolve the contract system now, as it cannot be postponed anymore.

Frontliners exhausted from tirelessly fighting the pandemic since March last year

There are policy decisions that the Cabinet can make immediately including allowing contract workers to apply for Hadiah Latihan Persekutuan (HLP) to further their Masters and specialisation and also for them to enjoy similar benefits as they have the same work burden and responsibility and face the same risk with their permanent counterparts.

Such policy decisions may not incur major financial commitments and could be good first steps to resolve this issue comprehensively.

Dr. Kelvin Yii
MP for Bandar Kuching