MMA president Dr Azizan Abdul Aziz said while the pay increase is a positive development, long-overdue reforms are necessary to ensure a sustainable and high-quality healthcare system.

“A health service commission, separate from the public services department, remains essential to effectively manage the employment and welfare of healthcare professionals in the civil service,” she said in a statement today.

Azizan also said the commission should have the authority to oversee the placement, salary scales and working conditions of healthcare professionals to ensure that their remuneration and benefits are competitive with the market.

“Regular, independent reviews would help maintain a fair and equitable system that attracts and retains top talent in the healthcare field,” she said.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said civil servants in top management will receive a 7% wage hike while those categorised as implementers, managers and professionals will see a 15% pay increase.

He said that considering the country’s challenging economic situation, the salary increments will be implemented in phases and will only apply to civil servants who have opted for the SSPA scheme.

In March, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the government was in the final stages of studying the proposal for a health service commission and that the matter would be referred to the Cabinet first.

Dzulkefly assured the medical community that the government was taking the proposal seriously as it was among the pledges made by Pakatan Harapan in its manifesto in the last general election.