The Health Ministry has clarified that the proposal for the government to consider hiring new medical officers along racial lines was not the ministry’s stance.
This is in direct response to the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) which yesterday rejected that racial and religious criteria be used to influence the appointment of medical officers for permanent service.
On June 16, Malaysian Public Health Physicians’ Association (PPPKAM) president Dr Zainal Ariffin had reportedly said a review would allow more medical graduates “especially among the bumiputera” to get permanent placement in the civil service as well as to reduce unemployment.
On June 23, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba had issued a statement addressing the remarks from PPPKAM as well as another from Malaysian Muslim Doctors Association (Perdim) president Dr Ahmad Shukri Ismail.
In a statement today, Health Ministry secretary-general Mohd Shafiq Abdullah said the first paragraph from Adham’s June 23 statement may have caused confusion and misinterpretation.
“The Health Ministry would like to clarify the confusion and misinterpretation that has happened with regard to the first paragraph of the ministry’s previous statement.
“The contents of the first paragraph are not the stance of the Health Ministry but it is a summary of the suggestion made by PPPKAM and Perdim through a news report.
“The Health Ministry’s explanation about the issue which was raised by the two associations starts in the second paragraph of the statement.
“It is hoped that this statement can correct the misinterpretations and confusion from all parties about the transparency and integrity of the ministry in handling appointments of medical officers for permanent service. which has always been done based on merit and performance during training,” Mohd Shafiq said.
Adham had said in the June 23 statement that the “government had taken note of the views presented by” PPPKAM and Perdim, but went on to stress they have never stopped the intake of medical graduates.
However, he did not say this was being done along racial lines.
In a separate statement today, DAP politician and general practitioner Dr Boo Cheng Hau also said he fully supports the MMA in rejecting the proposal to consider hiring new medical officers based on racial lines.
“The medical field has always been one of the most non-racial working fields in Malaysia, where medical personnel work hand-in-hand in battling the (Covid-19) pandemic regardless of race and favour,” he said. - Mkini
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