In a statement, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said the controversial system was referred to the Cabinet today.

“After considering all factors, the Cabinet has decided to cancel the WBB pilot project in order to allow for a more comprehensive and thorough study,” he said.

Dzulkefly added that the health ministry has established a committee to look into improving the delivery of healthcare services to the public and the scheduling of working hours.

“The ministry will continue its efforts to create a safe and fair working environment for all, especially healthcare workers,” he said.

The WBB aims to address the long-standing issue of excessive work hours among healthcare professionals, some of whom work up to 33 consecutive hours or clock 99 hours a week.

However, the controversial system drew brickbats from groups such as the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), which said health workers would work fewer hours but stood to lose income as they would not be granted an allowance for working past 5pm on weekdays.

Graveyard shifts would also be treated as regular work hours and included as part of the 45-hour work week, said MMA president Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira.

Dzulkefly previously said the system was only an optional addition to the current system to meet the needs and capabilities of public hospitals, adding that WBB would only be introduced as a pilot programme.

He said the health ministry’s medical advisory and action committee would decide soon whether or not the pilot phase would proceed on Feb 1.