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SHAH ALAM – Singer and actress Elizabeth Tan hopes Budget 2027 will allocate significantly more funds to the Health Ministry (MOH) to improve conditions for overworked doctors and public healthcare workers, rather than focusing on a bigger allocation for the creative industry.
Elizabeth shared her views during an interview with Sinar Harian, drawing from her husband’s experience as a government doctor and the challenges faced by medical officers, particularly those serving in isolated and rural areas.
“For me, it is not that I do not hope for more budget for the creative industry, but I would really love to see a huge allocation for MOH.
“My husband worked with the government for six to seven years as a doctor and he told me about many of the challenges he experienced, as well as those faced by his friends working in hospitals, particularly those in isolated rural areas,” she said.
Elizabeth said some rural hospitals lacked even basic facilities, including functioning toilets, hot water and other basic amenities, while doctors faced demanding workloads, inadequate staffing and low pay.
She said these experiences reflected the challenges faced by overworked doctors, particularly those serving in rural and interior areas, and expressed hope for a much larger allocation for MOH.
Her call came amid concerns over public healthcare staffing shortages in East Malaysia, where newly appointed permanent medical officers were reported to have failed to report for duty at significant rates.
Between 70 and 76 per cent of newly appointed permanent Grade UD10 medical officers failed to report for duty on Sept 28 across Sabah and Sarawak, with hospitals in Beluran, Keningau, Sipitang and Kanowit recording no arrivals.
The situation further highlighted the pressure faced by doctors who remained in rural and interior facilities, with excessive on-call duties, burnout and staffing shortages affecting healthcare capacity, including emergency departments.
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and regional leaders attributed the situation partly to changes to the Regional Incentive Payment (BIW), which was changed from a percentage of salary to a fixed RM360, while a separate RM300 cost-of-living allowance was removed.
Medical officers had also raised concerns over delayed relocation reimbursements and the high upfront costs associated with moving to East Malaysia.
MOH subsequently agreed to expedite and extend relocation claims for the 2025 and 2026 cohorts, although medical groups maintained that payments should be made before doctors were required to relocate.
Against this backdrop, the MMA and local representatives called for public healthcare spending to be increased to five per cent of GDP in Budget 2027, alongside the restoration of percentage-based regional allowances and the establishment of an independent Health Service Commission.
For Elizabeth, however, the issue was ultimately about ensuring doctors had the resources, facilities and support needed to carry out their duties without being pushed beyond their limits.
