As someone who’s been through the grind as a doctor in Malaysia’s public hospitals, I empathise with the plight of government physicians and surgeons. The talk about Waktu Bekerja Berlainan (WBB) (and doctor’s working hours) is timely, yet painfully slow to progress, after decades of talking.
I was part of the system – a houseman, a medical officer, registrar, and specialist. Then I jumped at the first opportunity to study and work in Australia, where I finished my subspecialty training and became a full-time consultant.
Spoiler alert: life is way better here.
Income disparity between Malaysia and comparable countries matters, but it doesn’t fully explain our medical brain drain. Equitable pay for humane working hours is what Malaysia is struggling with.
The 36-hour shifts in Malaysia? Absolutely insane. No Occupational Health guidelines can support this. No human should have to deal with that, let alone for peanuts in pay.
Unfortunately it is a norm, a precedence of problems which I was part of. “It’s for the people,” “You’re gaining experience,” or “A doctor shouldn’t be in this for the money”, so they say. The truth is, it’s draining, soul-crushing, and makes you feel like a machine instead of a person.
Having worked in the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS), Malaysia’s Ministry of Health (MOH), and Australian health care, I just hope that my perspective can spark some ideas or at least get people talking.
In Australia (where even the small state of Victoria is as big as Peninsular Malaysia!), there is a dire shortage of physicians beyond the metropolitan areas. In rural areas where resources were tight, however, the system remains equitable.
A rural hospital department I was under had seven registrars and four HMOs handling the workload. Doctors were capped at 40 to 50 hours a week or 120 hours a fortnight. Shifts last for a maximum of 12 hours. No 36-hour marathons.
Working overtime beyond 38 hours per week? Guess what — the labour agreement require hospitals to pay you 50 per cent more than your regular rate. Night shifts? Extra pay for the added stress.
It wasn’t just about the money; it was about protecting doctors from burnout. The excess overtime charges encourage hospitals to proactively manage doctor’s rotation and capacity planning.
Below is a sample of rates (base, overtime, shift loadings, and on-call):
Base Hourly Rates
• Junior Registrar (Year 1): AU$45 (RM125) to AU$55 (RM153) per hour, depending on experience.
• Senior Registrar (Year 3+): AU$55 (RM153) to AU$75 (RM209) per hour, depending on experience
Bonus Earnings
• Overtime: 1.5x to 2x the base rate.
• Shift Loadings: Evenings and weekends mean an extra 15 percent to 50 per cent on top of your pay. Public holidays? 2x the base rate.
• On-Call Pay: Just being on standby can get you AU$20 (RM56) to AU$40 (RM111) per hour, and more if you’re called in.
Rural Incentives: Rural areas come with allowances, bonuses, subsidized housing, and even help with relocation and childcare.
Locum Gigs: Locum jobs can pay AU$120 (RM334) to AU$180 (RM501) per hour. Government hospitals attract experienced professionals mostly through locum arrangements.
Balancing Work and Life: Not Just a Myth
Thanks to these policies, I actually had time for my family. I could sit down for meals, play with my kids, and watch them grow up — I couldn’t dream of doing this in Malaysia. There is no price on this work life balance.
My kids were actively discouraged from pursuing medicine in Malaysia. I couldn’t bear to see my children suffer. Seeing how doctors are treated in Australia? They have my full support. Here, you’re valued, not exploited.
Malaysia’s Health Care System: Some Tough Truths
I’ve moved on, but my heart still aches for my friends, family, and former colleagues back home. The sleepless nights, the sacrifices, the thankless work — it’s heartbreaking. Doctors are burning out, and it’s not sustainable.
We need stronger unions and a fair work commission to establish a structure for fair pay and humane working conditions. If things don’t change, more doctors will leave. It’s already happening.
Enough with the “charity mindset.”
Doctors are humans with bills to pay, families to feed, and lives to live. They deserve more than just “thank you.” They deserve respect, proper support, and a system that values them as much as they value their patients.
The author is a Malaysian consultant practising in Melbourne, Australia.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
