For years, Malaysia’s health care workers have been strung along by politicians who praise them in public and betray them in policy.
From nurses and junior doctors to specialists and general practitioners (GPs), the entire health care sector has been subjected to empty promises, insulting policies, and deafening silence from those in power.
At the centre of this betrayal are none other than Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
It has been eight months since Dzulkefly returned to the helm of the Health Ministry, yet we have seen zero meaningful improvements to the welfare of doctors and nurses.
Not a single increment in on-call allowances. Not a single reform in contract doctor policies. Not a single step forward in valuing the backbone of our health care system.
Dzulkefly’s Sweet Talk, Zero Substance
Dzulkefly is a master of sweet talk. He praises nurses as “the pulse of our service”. He says he “understands the burnout” of doctors. He claims reforms are “in the pipeline”.
Yet, eight months into his term, there is absolutely nothing to show—no increase in nurses’ basic pay, no update on on-call allowance hikes, no new financial incentives.
Even worse, while morale among health care workers is at rock bottom, he stays silent or issues vague statements when pressed for action. Where is the urgency? Where is the leadership?
This isn’t a new problem. It’s a systemic rot that successive governments have ignored. Dzulkefly had the chance to correct it. Instead, he chose to play it safe. He chose photo ops and speeches over decisive action. He chose to be a politician rather than a reformer.
PM Anwar’s Silence
Then there is Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who continues to act as if none of this matters. For all his talk about “Madani values” and justice for the people, he has done absolutely nothing to push for health care reform.
He proudly announced a 15 per cent salary increment for civil servants, but completely ignored the fact that health care workers are grossly underpaid, overworked, and increasingly demoralised.
Doctors and nurses are not the same as other civil servants. They work 36-hour shifts, carry lives in their hands, and endure daily emotional and physical strain that most people could never imagine.
Budget 2025 was a slap in the face: not a single mention of boosting doctor or nurse welfare, on-call compensation, or staff retention strategies.
By failing to act, Anwar has shown that health care workers are not a priority in his administration. His refusal to address the issue head-on is a betrayal not just of those in white coats, but to every Malaysian who depends on this broken system.
From Praise To Insult: Treating GPs Like Shopkeepers
If that wasn’t bad enough, the latest absurdity from the Health Ministry is the requirement for private GPs to display medication prices, as if they were running retail stores instead of medical clinics.
This idiotic policy exposes how little the government understands the clinical role of a GP. It’s insulting to reduce doctors to mere price tag dispensers.
Patients are not “consumers” and GPs are not “product suppliers”. GPs deliver medical services based on years of training, not itemised sales.
This is yet another way the Health Ministry is alienating health care professionals while pretending to promote transparency.
If Dzulkefly and Anwar wanted transparency, they’d start by publishing how many doctors have left the public system, how many hospitals are understaffed, how many nurses are working double shifts, and how many lives have been lost to medical delays caused by an overburdened and under-supported workforce.
Stop The Sweet Talk, Start The Reform
This government has had more than enough time to act. But instead of reforms, we get:
Hollow praises for “frontliners”.
Publicity stunts with no substance.
Silence in the face of real suffering.
Policies that treat doctors like businessmen.
It’s time we call this out for what it is: a coordinated failure of leadership by Dzulkefly and Anwar.
Health care workers are not asking for miracles. They are demanding:
- A 30 to 40 per cent salary increment for all health care workers, including nurses, medical officers, specialists, and allied staff.
- An increase in on-call allowance to RM25/hour minimum for doctors and commensurate increases for others.
- Withdrawal of the GP medication price display ruling, which insults the medical profession.
- Proper career pathways for contract doctors and regular updates on permanent post absorption.
Health Care Workers Are Not Slaves
Stop treating health care professionals like slaves. Stop insulting their intelligence with empty statements. Stop using them as political props while denying them the dignity of fair compensation and respect.
Health care workers kept this country afloat during the Covid-19 crisis. They continue to keep it running despite the government’s negligence. Yet Dzulkefly continues with his PR games and Anwar buries his head in the sand.
This is not leadership. This is betrayal. Malaysians—especially those in the health care field—will not forget this.
The author is a medical officer at a government hospital in the Klang Valley. CodeBlue is giving the author anonymity because civil servants are prohibited from writing to the press.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
