Dzulkefly: Over 400 contract medical officers decline permanent posts from 2023 to mid-2025, citing location and career concerns
414 contract medical officers in Malaysia resigned after being offered permanent positions between 2023 and June 2025, representing 3.5% of those offered. Reasons cited include unwillingness to be posted in Sabah, Sarawak, or Labuan, preference for urban areas, career progression concerns, and personal factors like family, health, and finances. The Ministry of Health is working to retain medical officers through salary increases, filling permanent positions, lateral appointments, improved benefits like paid study leave and specialist training programs, and exploring state-level incentives.
