KOTA KINABALU, 23 December 2025 — Parti Warisan Sabah has warned that the reduction of regional allowances for doctors serving in Sabah risks further weakening the state’s already overstretched public healthcare system, echoing concerns raised by the Sabah Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).
Warisan Supreme Council member KC Chen Ket Chuin said the allowance was never meant to be a bonus but a recognition of the real challenges faced by doctors in Sabah, including higher living costs, manpower shortages, logistical constraints and limited career pathways.
“Cutting it sends the wrong message at the worst possible time,” he said in a statement.
Chen cautioned that reducing incentives in regions already struggling to retain doctors would inevitably result in longer waiting times, reduced services and greater reliance on private healthcare.
“At a time when private healthcare costs and insurance premiums are rising sharply, weakening public healthcare without safeguards is deeply irresponsible. The people who will suffer most are the elderly, rural communities and low-income families,” he said.
He was responding to concerns raised by the MMA over the revised Regional Incentive Allowance (Bayaran Insentif Wilayah, BIW) under the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA), which has reduced allowances for newly appointed medical officers in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan by more than 60 per cent in some cases — from RM960 to RM360 per month.
The MMA has also highlighted that th Health Ministry is already facing difficulties with officers failing to report for duty in Sabah and Sarawak, even before the full impact of the revised allowance structure is felt.
While the revision has been framed as an administrative adjustment, Chen said it raises fundamental questions about Sabah’s ability to retain medical professionals and ensure equitable access to healthcare.
Sabah already faces one of the most severe doctor shortages in Malaysia, with medical officers serving vast rural and interior areas under demanding conditions and often with limited resources. The regional allowance was introduced to acknowledge these realities and to help bridge long-standing disparities between East and West Malaysia.
“This change is not just a number. It sends a disheartening message to young doctors that their sacrifices and commitment are valued less depending on when and where they serve,” Chen said.
“When you reduce incentives in regions already struggling with retention, you are effectively weakening the entire public healthcare system.”
The MMA has estimated that restoring the BIW to its original structure would cost approximately RM4.2 million annually, based on around 700 new medical officers posted to Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan each year. Chen described the amount as modest in the context of national expenditure.
“This clearly shows that this is not a question of affordability, but of priorities,” he said.
He added that the issue also exposes long-standing structural weaknesses in how Sabah’s healthcare needs are planned and managed. While Sarawak invested early in local medical education, training pathways and retention strategies, Sabah remains heavily dependent on centrally determined policies that do not adequately reflect local conditions.
“This decision once again underscores the need for healthcare policies that are shaped by Sabah’s unique geography, costs and service challenges,” Chen said, adding that such an approach is consistent with the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
In this context, Chen reiterated that Warisan President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal has consistently advocated greater state involvement in healthcare governance, including the establishment of a Sabah healthcare ministry or authority with meaningful decision-making powers over manpower planning, incentives and long-term capacity development.
Chen also stressed that the Sabah State Government must play a more proactive role.
“Clear leadership is required in engaging the Federal Government, defending critical incentives, and committing seriously to long-term investments such as local medical education and workforce development,” he said.
“Healthcare is not an area where short-term decisions can be made without long-term consequences. It requires planning, partnership and a clear commitment to the well-being of the people.”
Warisan has urged the Federal Government to urgently review and reverse the reduction of regional allowances for doctors serving in Sabah, and called on the Sabah State Government to take a clear stand in defence of the state’s healthcare workforce in line with MA63.
“Healthcare security is fundamental to Sabah’s future. It must be protected, strengthened and treated as a core responsibility of government — not a cost to be trimmed,” Chen said.
Comments
Post a Comment