KUCHING, Oct 5 2026: Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament Dr Kelvin Yii has asked the Ministry of Health (MoH) to reinstate the progressive Regional Incentive Allowance (BIW) for healthcare workers in Sabah and Sarawak, and pay them relocation allowances upfront based on actual costs to address the shortage of healthcare workers.
He also wanted the ministry to announce in the near future a commitment to establish a Health Service Commission, empowered to determine remuneration without being bound by the general civil service pay schemes.
"Thirdly, (MoH should) grant immediate promotion upon permanent appointment, to make service in Sabah and Sarawak an incentive for securing specialist training placements, and clearly define the terms of permanent service, such as a duration of 12 to 24 months, commensurate remuneration packages, and subsequent career benefits,"he said during the debate in Parliament today.
Dr Yii said he also believes that the state governments must also play a role by offering state-level bonuses and incentives to healthcare workers serving in their respective states.
"This can be viewed as a shared responsibility," he said, pointing out that this also implies that the federal government must return the revenues rightfully due to Sabah and Sarawak, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), saying that this is indisputable.
As a short-term measure, Dr Yii asked if the government prepares to recruit foreign doctors—starting with international graduates trained in Malaysia's medical universities while ensuring patient safety safeguards.
"This serves merely as a temporary bridge, not a substitute for efforts to improve the salaries and career prospects of our own doctors," he reminded.
Dr Yii noted that the rate of medical officers failing to report for permanent positions has surged from 2% in 2022 to 20% in 2023, is projected to reach approximately 40% in 2025, and stands at 66% for hospital postings in Sabah this month.
"The MMA (Malaysian Medical Association) reports the rates of 70% to 76% in Sabah and Sarawak. This is no longer a warning sign; it is an emergency," he warned.
He noted that on September 28, Beluran Hospital received zero doctors, and currently, only six doctors are running the entire hospital, Kanowit Hospital is left with only three doctors while Kudat received four out of 17 and Sri Aman, six out of 20.
On the same day, he said Serdang Hospital in Selangor reportedly received 150 new doctors.
"This comes as no surprise, yet it may well be the result of poor planning. Back in July, the Deputy Minister of Health himself projected that only 280 out of 560 doctors would be posted to Sabah.
"I commend the government for the more than 18,500 permanent appointments made since 2023, but these figures mean little if many doctors fail to report for duty," Dr Yio said adding that thee statistics may not reflect the true picture as doctors who decline offers are not recorded as having resigned.
"We could be losing thousands of doctors without any official record," he said.
He said every absent doctor triggers a chain reaction, such as expectant mothers face longer waits, stroke patients lose critical "golden hour" treatment time, and diabetes cases progress to kidney failure.
"In our rural areas, there is no other hospital just down the road. There is no Plan B," Dr Yii said.
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