PSM must pick the right battle on healthcare

 The party's protest against health tourism targets the wrong culprit, as deeper flaws in the national health system continue to push doctors away.

Few political parties in Malaysia can claim to have stood shoulder to shoulder with the country’s most vulnerable – not just in speeches, but on the ground, in the heat, in the courts, and sometimes, in danger.

For decades, Parti Sosialis Malaysia has built its reputation not on electoral wins but on something far rarer in politics: consistency.

When plantation workers are evicted, when urban settlers face demolition, when contract workers are squeezed, PSM shows up. From marching with plantation workers to standing with Kampung Papan residents as their homes are torn down, PSM was there.

And yet, even a party with moral clarity can sometimes miss the bigger picture. Take PSM’s recent protest against health tourism. The party argues that the growth of healthcare tourism catering to foreign patients risks pulling specialists away from public hospitals.

A simplistic approach? Perhaps, because it avoids the elephant in the room.

As Malaysian Medical Association president Dr R Thirunakarasu has pointed out, the real problem lies within the national health system, where such matters as limited career progression, opaque promotions, and unsustainable workloads are pushing doctors out.

Based on this, PSM should push for structural reforms that retain talent, rather than policies that restrict doctors’ ability to grow. Doctors, like other professionals, have the right to pursue better opportunities – to earn more, to grow, and to test their limits.

Health tourism is not a niche industry. The Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council estimates that for every ringgit spent on medical care, about RM4 flows into the broader economy, including hotels, airlines, restaurants, ground transport, and retail.

The council’s CEO, Suriaghandi Suppiah, said the sector generated RM3.34 billion in direct medical revenue last year, with a wider multiplier effect of about RM13 billion in total economic activity.

PSM has always fought against injustice. It should now speak up about the deeper issues driving doctors away

The country is also facing mounting economic pressure following the Iran war, which has disrupted global energy markets, resulting in higher fuel costs and potentially slower growth across developing economies.

In such a climate, the answer is not to shut down opportunity, but to fix the system – to boost incomes, restore confidence, and ensure that doctors choose to stay, rather than feeling compelled to leave. - FMT

The writer is a senior journalist with FMT’s English Desk.

This article represents the writer’s opinion and does not necessarily reflect MMKtT’s position.