Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PN-Kuala Krai) said the problems began in 2016, under the Barisan Nasional administration and continued during Pakatan Harapan’s rule between 2018 and 2020.

“I wish to thank the Prime Minister for announcing the government’s commitment to overcoming the issues faced by contract doctors, a commitment that was not given by the other two governments,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.

He said PN was working on a comprehensive plan to address such problems in the long- term, as it had a huge impact on the public.

Last week, Muhyiddin Yassin revealed that contract healthcare workers would be offered a two-year contract of service and fully sponsored study leave to pursue specialisation.

The prime minister said the government would extend the contracts of medical and dental officers who were accepted into specialisation programmes within the first two years of their contract for up to four years.

Abdul Latiff also chided Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PH – Setiawangsa) for referring to a social media post by health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah from two years ago.

Earlier this morning, Nik Nazmi had quoted Noor Hisham as saying that the healthcare system was “currently underfunded, underpaid, overworked, overstretched and with facilities overcrowded with patients,”.

“It (the post) was made in 2019, so it is unfair to accuse the PN government of this, because who was the health minister and government at the time?” said Abdul Latiff.