KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 16 — Dzulkefly Ahmad said today that he has not been briefed nor approved the Waktu Bekerja Berlainan (WBB) shift system, despite the Ministry of Health (MOH) secretary-general’s approval for the pilot project.
The health minister claimed that the WBB system – which has turned out to be extremely unpopular among government doctors – was still merely a “proposal”, even though an MOH circular states a February 1 launch date for the pilot in seven hospitals.
“Waktu Bekerja Berlainan (WBB) is actually a proposal; I wish to stress that it’s still at the proposal stage,” Dzulkefly told reporters at the sidelines of an event with Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek in Putrajaya.
“It hasn’t reached me yet, much less the Public Service Department (JPA). Unfortunately, it was leaked – who leaked it is not important to me – but it’s very unfortunate that it was leaked or exposed.”
The health minister said a committee – believed to be the Medical Advisory & Action Committee (MAAC) under the MOH’s medical development division – has not briefed him about the WBB pilot project either.
He added that the MOH will hold town hall engagements with hospital directors, specialist doctors, heads of department, and heads of specialty in the public health service on WBB, describing the shift system as a “continuous effort” to improve service delivery and health care workers’ welfare.
CodeBlue broke the news yesterday on a January 10 circular by MOH medical development division director Dr Mohd Azman Yacob, who stated that the first phase of the WBB shift system will take effect on February 1, 2025, in eight departments across seven government hospitals.
Dr Azman’s 41-page circular – which included MAAC’s guidelines on the implementation of the WBB system for medical and dental officers and specialists – was carbon copied to the MOH secretary-general; the Health director-general; the Health deputy director-general (medical); the Health deputy director-general (dental health); the deputy state health directors (medical) of Kuala Lumpur & Putrajaya, Selangor, Melaka, Kedah, and Perak; as well as the hospital directors of Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Sultanah Bahiyah, Melaka, Putrajaya, Slim River, and Tunku Azizah Hospitals.
“In line with YAB Prime Minister’s speech during the tabling of Budget 2025 that the on-call allowance will be increased by between RM55 and RM65 for medical and dental officers in health care facilities using a new work system, the Ministry of Health Malaysia presented a proposal on the Waktu Bekerja Berlainan (WBB) System to the Public Service Department (JPA) on 5 December 2024,” Dr Azman wrote in his circular, sighted by CodeBlue.
“This WBB system was subsequently approved for Phase One of the project by YBhg. Dato’ Sri Ketua Setiausaha on 3 January 2025. In line with that, the WBB system will be introduced in your hospitals for Phase One in select departments and locations as follows,” he added, listing the departments and hospitals involved.
“Phase One implementation of WBB will be enforced starting 1 February 2025.”
The MOH secretary-general is Suriani Ahmad.
In a Dewan Rakyat written reply last November 4, Dzulkefly himself described the on-call allowance increment as a “pilot project.”
“This allowance increase will be implemented in a targeted manner according to specific service areas and departments,” the health minister told Parliament then.
“In line with the central agency’s recommendation, the MOH will conduct a pilot project of at least three months involving selected hospital and health clinic facilities.”
As per Dr Azman’s January 10 circular, the new on-call allowance rate is only applicable to doctors and dentists working WBB on weekends or public holidays in the departments of hospitals that are piloting the new shift system until March.
Medical officers and specialists are not eligible for the Elaun Tugas Atas Panggilan (ETAP) allowance for 18-hour shifts (3pm-9am) on weekdays, as this long shift with graveyard hours – equivalent to two straight days’ of work – is counted as part of the 45-hour work week.
For WBB shifts (3pm-9am) on Fridays or pre-weekends, officers can only claim passive ETAP allowance for the second nine hours of their 18-hour shift (12am-9am). The first nine hours (3pm-12am) are not additionally compensated because these irregular hours are counted as part of the 45-hour work week.
MAAC’s WBB guidelines attached to Dr Azman’s circular cite cost savings by abolishing the on-call allowance on weekdays and by turning Friday active claims to passive claims.
The MOH estimates that the on-call allowance raise in Phase One of WBB in seven hospitals will cost about RM2.2 million for one year.
The departments piloting WBB are as follows: Tunku Azizah Hospital in Kuala Lumpur (NICU/ PICU), Slim River Hospital in Perak (medical), Putrajaya Hospital (obstetric & gynaecology – labour room), Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Perak (orthopaedic), Melaka Hospital (orthopaedic and emergency & trauma), Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Kedah (emergency & trauma), and Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang Hospital in Selangor (oral and maxillofacial surgery).
The higher on-call allowance of RM275 per shift and RM315 per shift for medical officers and specialist doctors respectively only apply to WBB active calls on weekends or public holidays for 15 or more consecutive hours’ work outside regular hours. This on-call allowance raise is only available to departments or units that implement WBB.
In contrast, non-WBB active calls will only be compensated RM220 per shift and RM250 per shift for medical officers and specialist doctors respectively on weekends and public holidays – RM55 and RM65 lower respectively than WBB active calls. On weekdays, the allowance is set at RM200 and RM230 per shift respectively.
Passive calls are paid at RM130 per shift (medical officers) and RM150 per shift (specialist doctors) on weekdays. For weekends, it’s RM140 per shift (medical officers) and RM160 per shift (specialist doctors). Both the non-WBB active calls and passive calls are the old (or current) allowance rates.
