Its secretary-general Mohd Shafiq Abdullah thanked the prime minister for considering the two-year contract extension, which he said would allow those under the contract system to prepare for specialisation and ensure continuity in healthcare service.

He said the ministry would consider other approaches it can take in the next two years to offer more permanent positions.

Shafiq added that the ministry would also review and consider amendments to the Medical Act 1971.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that contract doctors, dentists and pharmacists would be offered a two-year contract of service and fully sponsored study leave to pursue specialisation.

He also said the government would extend the contracts of medical and dental officers who have been accepted into specialisation programmes in the first two years of their contract for up to four years.

While it welcomed Muhyiddin’s announcement, the Malaysian Medical Association(MMA) said these only amounted to “immediate short-term steps” taken by the government – stressing that such measures are not a “solution to the problem”.

“This pandemic has shown how critical healthcare workers are, and therefore, more positions should be created for permanent posts,” said MMA president Dr Subramaniam Muniandy.

Subramaniam also noted that the current proposal of a contract extension needs to be reviewed as other factors that may delay specialisation should also be taken into account.

We are live on Telegram, subscribe here for breaking news and the latest announcements.