Kuala Lumpur, September 5, 2025 — Malaysia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) is preparing to present a proposal to the Cabinet that seeks to raise the on-call allowance (ETAP) for doctors and other healthcare personnel, with a view toward implementation in 2026. The initiative, developed in partnership with the Public Service Department, reaffirms the government’s commitment to boosting welfare and retaining medical workers.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad emphasized that the MOH continuously reviews staff incentives—including critical service, specialist, locum, and the recently introduced pre-gazetted specialist allowances—to ensure compensation aligns with evolving market conditions. He noted that personnel in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan receive additional hardship and placement incentives. This proposed increase forms part of a broader, ongoing commitment to periodic reviews of healthcare workforce support.
According to recent disclosures to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee, raising ETAP across the board would require an additional RM75 to RM80 million annually. The MOH previously limited the increase in 2025 to a pilot shift system—Waktu Bekerja Berlainan (WBB)—narrowing projected costs to about RM20 million to RM21 million.
The potential raise has rekindled debate on fair compensation for doctors. Currently, medical officers receive RM220 per on-call shift, while specialists earn RM250—a rate critics say amounts to under RM10 per hour over a 24-hour period. Healthcare professionals and civil society groups have compared the relatively modest RM80 million cost to the extensive allowances received by some politicians, arguing that this investment is imperative to prevent further attrition in the public health service.
