Calling doctors’ allowance a ‘privilege’ undermines morale, says MMA

The Malaysian Medical Association says doctors are only asking for recognition, fairness, and the means to serve effectively.

MMA president Dr R Thirunavukarasu urged Putrajaya to explore restoring a ‘fair and meaningful’ regional incentive payment structure for doctors serving in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan. (Freepik pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) says Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Mustapha Sakmud’s description of the regional incentive payment (BIW) as a “privilege” undermines doctors’ morale and fails to reflect the reality on the ground.

MMA president Dr R Thirunavukarasu said Mustapha’s written parliamentary response on the matter was disheartening to the thousands of doctors who served the country, often in remote or underserved areas.

Noting that an estimated 30% of Malaysian medical graduates from universities such as UM and UKM had chosen to work in Singapore due to better pay and clearer career pathways, Thirunavukarasu said Malaysia must create conditions that would encourage doctors to serve in the country.

“Doctors posted to Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan face real challenges – relocation costs, separation from families, limited access to specialist support, under-resourced environments, and complex patient needs,” he said in a statement.

“The BIW allowance has always functioned not as a handout but as a practical and fair incentive for public service in these regions. Doctors are not asking for special treatment – they are asking for recognition, fairness, and the means to serve effectively.

“If we continue to neglect their needs, it is not just the doctors who suffer; it is the people they serve.”

Noting that policy decisions related to remuneration are largely determined by central agencies such as the public service department (JPA), Thirunavukarasu urged Putrajaya to reconsider its current stance on BIW and to explore restoring a “fair and meaningful” incentive structure for doctors serving in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.

In a written parliamentary reply last week, Sepanggar MP Mustapha said the BIW is subject to the same principles, criteria, and conditions as other allowances for federal civil servants.

“The granting of BIW is not an entitlement of civil servants; rather, it is a privilege conferred by the government as an addition to the salary received, to help defray the cost of living for civil servants from Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, as well as officers transferred between regions,” he said.

Health news portal CodeBlue last month reported that newly appointed medical officers, or those eligible from Dec 1, 2024, would receive a smaller BIW allowance than their seniors for transfers to Sabah, Sarawak or Labuan.

Under the Public Service Remuneration System, which replaced the old SSM for the federal civil service on that date, the new BIW rate was reduced to a fixed monthly rate of RM360 for Grades 9 to 15 of the management and professional group.

Doctors’ groups in Sabah and Sarawak have since warned that cutting the BIW allowance risks discouraging doctors from taking up postings in East Malaysia. - FMT