Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the intake of more trainees, particularly doctors and nurses, must also be given serious attention.

He noted that attractive salary offers from hospitals in Singapore to healthcare workers in Johor is not a new issue.

“Some hospitals in Singapore are offering very attractive packages to healthcare workers in Johor and some have already accepted those offers.

“What we aim to do is talk with the ministry about increasing the number of trainees and offering better pay and opportunities so that they feel appreciated serving in the public healthcare system,” Bernama reported him as saying after the Nurses Day 2025 celebration in Johor Bahru today.

Recently, Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran said Singapore’s bold move to hold direct interviews at a leading hotel in Kuala Lumpur next month for the recruitment of experienced doctors is likely to exacerbate the brain drain in the healthcare sector.

Lingeshwaran said the latest advertisement by the republic’s health ministry calling for walk-in interviews at Traders Hotel next month, offering an annual package of S$110,000 (RM385,000) plus housing and other perks, would surely attract Malaysian doctors.

He said the salary excluded the monthly accommodation allowance, insurance and other benefits like on-call allowance.

The doctors are only required to have a minimum of three years’ experience at Malaysian hospitals and clinics.