Back in April 2025, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad made a public promise — one that gave a glimmer of hope to thousands of exhausted, overworked health care workers across the country.
“Paling lewat Jun ini, tapi saya sendiri kalau boleh mahu selesaikan Mei sebab tahu mereka (petugas kesihatan) bekerja dengan kuat.”
Translation: “By June at the latest, but if possible, I want it settled by May because I know our health care workers work hard.”
Well, Minister — it’s already July. But yet, there has been no update, no announcement, no raise — nothing.
What happened to your words? Have they evaporated into thin air like every other empty promise politicians love to spew?
Your silence now is deafening.
While you sit comfortably in air-conditioned meeting rooms and post curated photos on social media, we are the ones drowning in 24-hour shifts, endless ward rounds, and dangerously short-staffed rosters.
We are the ones working through nights, weekends, and public holidays — for a laughable RM9.16 per hour.
Let that sink in. RM9.16 an hour. A rate so shameful and outdated, it deserves a place in the museum beside relics of the 90s.
In Klang Valley, a cleaner charges RM30 to RM50 per hour to clean your house. Yet doctors handling human lives, resuscitating patients, and making life-or-death decisions at 3am — are still being paid less than RM10 per hour?
It’s not just unfair. It’s a national embarrassment.
And worst of all — you promised us change.
Where is it now?
Health care workers across Malaysia — especially doctors — have been stretched to the limit. Many of us are burnt out, demoralised, and fed up. And yet, we continue to serve this broken system because we believe in the oath we took.
But our loyalty is not infinite. We will not be fooled again.
Every day that you delay this allowance increase, you further insult the integrity of this profession. Every day you remain silent, you erode what little trust we have left in this ministry.
And before anyone dares to play the “budget constraints” card — save it. We’ve heard it all before.
If you can afford lavish events, luxury cars for officials, and foreign diplomatic tours, you can darn well afford to pay your doctors what they’re worth.
This isn’t about money anymore.
It’s about respect, dignity, and basic human decency.
You promised us June. It’s now July. Where is it?
Don’t come to us next month with more excuses. Don’t dare call for “understanding” or “patience” — we’ve shown nothing but patience for years. Don’t insult us further with roundabout answers, shifting blame to “ongoing discussions,” “paperwork delays,” or “Cabinet procedures.”
You had time. You had months.
You stood before the media and made a promise to thousands of hardworking frontliners.
Now, you must be held accountable.
Malaysia deserves a health minister who delivers, not one who disappears when it matters most.
Doctors and health care staff deserve leadership, not lip service.
We are not asking anymore. We are watching.
And if this government continues to insult and betray us, we will not remain silent.
This is your final reminder. Tick, tock.
The author is a medical officer at a government hospital in the Klang Valley. CodeBlue is providing the author anonymity as civil servants are prohibited from writing to the media.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
