AN MCA leader has expressed concern over the stark gap between the 5,000 housemanship positions offered by the Health Ministry (MOH) and the mere 529 medical graduates who reported for duty.
Its deputy national organising secretary Datuk Kang Meng Fuat said this is not an isolated anomaly but a clear indication that the nation’s public healthcare system is facing a serious and accelerated loss of talent.
“This trend reflects deeper structural issues. More medical graduates are losing confidence in the public system and opting for the private sector or opportunities abroad,” he stressed.
“As a result, government hospitals are facing a growing and dangerous manpower shortage.”
Kang said that despite the government introducing various measures to improve welfare including allowances and working conditions, these efforts have not been sufficient.
“Many healthcare professionals continue to be drawn to better pay, fairer working hours, and clearer career pathways overseas. This has created an unsustainable imbalance where talent is trained locally but serves elsewhere,” he observed.
“While countries such as Singapore and the United Kingdom face similar challenges, they possess stronger financial capacity and institutional appeal to retain or attract talent.
“Malaysia, as a middle-income nation, has far less room to absorb such losses, making the impact more severe and long-lasting.”
Kang further noted that MOH is currently under increasing strain, grappling with underfunding, staff shortages, uncompetitive salaries, and heavy workloads.
“Many public hospitals and clinics are operating beyond capacity, with doctors working long hours and facing rising burnout,” he added.
“These pressures are already affecting service delivery, with longer waiting times, bed shortages, and declining quality of care.
“Ultimately, the burden falls on the rakyat. If the situation persists, not only primary care but also specialist and emergency services could be compromised.”
According to Kang, equally concerning is the lack of clear and balanced career progression which leaves many young doctors uncertain about their future and further weakening morale.
He urged the government to act with urgency, stressing that healthcare funding must be expanded, staffing gaps filled swiftly, and salary structures reviewed to ensure regional competitiveness.
“Without decisive action, the ongoing brain drain will worsen, risking systemic failure. Immediate, firm, and comprehensive reforms are essential to restore confidence, retain talent, and safeguard quality healthcare for all Malaysians,” he added.
On Tuesday (March 17), Dr Dzulkefly told the Dewan Negara that the intake of medical graduates for housemanship has halved since 2019, indicating a sharp contraction in the country’s pipeline of new doctors.
He said 206 house officers resigned during their training in 2024 and 2025, comprising 114 in 2024 and 92 in 2025, compared with 254 who left the programme in 2023.
Dr Dzulkefly said the resignations were due to multiple factors, including personal issues, lack of readiness for housemanship, pursuing further studies, migration overseas and health problems. ‒ Focus Malaysia
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