‘Don’t demoralise Malaysia’s strained healthcare system by removing special allowance’

SIBU (Dec 28): Discontinuing the special allowance for medical personnel serving in Sabah and Sarawak will heavily impact Malaysia’s already strained healthcare system, said the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong and Sibu Jaya branches.

In a joint statement on Sunday, they said that healthcare workers, particularly those posted from the Peninsula, serving in East Malaysia faced unique challenges such as geographical isolation, limited infrastructure, higher cost of living in certain areas, logistical difficulties, and prolonged separation from families.

“The special allowance was not a privilege, but a necessary form of compensation recognising these realities and ensuring continuity of healthcare services in East Malaysia.

“Withdrawing this allowance risks further demoralising the workforce, worsening staff retention, and undermining recruitment efforts to Sabah and Sarawak—regions that already face longstanding disparities in healthcare access,” they said.

They said that rather than strengthening morale, the removal of the allowance placed additional financial and emotional burdens on personnel who have committed to serving where they are most needed.

Citing the situation at Sibu Hospital, they said the facility had more than 300 doctors across various disciplines.

“Among specialists, about three-quarters are from West Malaysia, while nearly 60 per cent of medical officers are from outside Sarawak. Imagine the impact on our local health services should all these doctors decide to leave, as it would be viewed that their services to this part of Malaysia is no longer being appreciated,” they said.

They urged the Health Ministry and federal government to immediately review and reverse the decision to withdraw the allowance.

“Instead, engage in transparent dialogue with medical professionals and representative bodies from Sabah and Sarawak, including the Sabah and Sarawak branches of the Malaysian Medical Association, and develop fair and sustainable incentive structures that reflect the realities of serving in East Malaysia and uphold equity within the national healthcare system.”

They also proposed the Sarawak government consider providing a special allowance to doctors in Sarawak, including ‘Anak Sarawak’ who returned to serve the state.

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