August 22, 2025
PETALING JAYA – With the education and health sectors traditionally receiving the bulk of allocations under the national budget, calls have been made for this to be continued.
As the government prepares to table Budget 2026 on Oct 10, healthcare professionals want a significant boost in funding to address mounting challenges with the sector under increasing strain.
Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said healthcare and education are equally critical investments and should not be viewed as “competing sectors”.
“The health sector urgently needs more resources to tackle pressing issues such as the shortage of doctors and specialists, an ageing population and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs),” he said.
Among the MMA’s top proposals is for the government to abolish the contract doctor system and return to the pre-2016 practice of offering permanent posts to all new medical officers entering public service.
“More permanent posts are essential to improve workforce stability and retain doctors in the public healthcare system,” said Dr Kalwinder.
He also called for an immediate adjustment to on-call allowances for doctors, which was pledged in the previous budget but remains unimplemented.
“The new rates must reflect the heavy sacrifices doctors make and should apply across the board to all undertaking on-call duties.”
Dr Kalwinder also said the role of private general practitioners in managing NCDs should be strengthened through structured public-private partnerships.
“Currently, private primary care services remain underutilised. With better collaboration, patients can be managed more efficiently, reducing delays and congestion at public facilities,” he said.
Tax rebates for doctors attending conferences and training courses as part of their continuing professional development, a requirement for renewing their Annual Practising Certificate, have also been proposed.
Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, who is Dean of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s School of Liberal Sciences, said Budget 2026 must not only prioritise better infrastructure but also improved job conditions and remuneration for doctors.
“Many doctors are leaving due to low pay and unsatisfactory working conditions, leading to a shortage of specialist services, especially in rural areas,” said the public health medicine specialist.
She said cardiovascular diseases, a major category of NCDs, are on the rise and will increasingly contribute to population mortality.
She urged the government to invest in facilities for both screening and treatment of such conditions at the primary care level.
“Simple procedures can be implemented at local clinics to reduce the burden on larger hospitals. Programmes like Peka B40 and other social protection initiatives also need better support and management,” she added.
Acknowledging that the education sector usually receives more funding due to the larger base it served, Dr Sharifa Ezat said equally, there must be increased allocation not only for hospitals but for public health and primary care.
Former Health Ministry director Datuk Zainal Ariffin Omar echoed the call for stronger primary care, saying more funding was needed to upgrade government clinics, hire more family medicine specialists, support NCD management and for preventive care programmes.
He said it is important to accelerate digital health transformation, including integration of electronic medical records, upgrades to MySejahtera and expansion of telemedicine and public health data analytics.
Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh proposed a sales and services tax (SST) exemption on healthcare-related rentals to reduce cost pressures, especially for services between hospitals licensed under Act 586 of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998.
He also called for investment tax allowances for AI, robotics and IT infrastructure in hospitals to support patient care and digital upgrades in line with the national healthcare system roadmap.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said NCDs will be a principal focus of healthcare in the coming budget.
He said this included an emphasis on preventive medicine and the management of NCDs from the public health aspect.
“We have proposed over and above our usual line of (budgeting),” he told reporters yesterday.