PETALING JAYA, July 16 — Rakan KKM aims to recruit specialist doctors who currently do locum work in the private sector, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said today.
He explained that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has conducted a few town halls with its specialists and other health care workers, including a survey that found specialists in the public service have time for locum work in private hospitals.
“We’re not targeting those who don’t have the time,” Dzulkefly told a press conference at Monash University Malaysia’s Precision Public Health Asia 2025 Conference here.
“The group we’re targeting is specialists, which we believe is important to retain. We want to retain them with extra remuneration and the like.
“So those who don’t have the time don’t need to worry – they’re not within our consideration. It’s those who want to do Rakan KKM like private wings.”
Since 2018, the government has allowed specialist doctors to work four days a week and to use the additional day off for locum work in the private sector, in a bid to reduce attrition rates.
The difference between locum in the conventional private sector and Rakan KKM is that for the former, the specialist has a fully staffed team waiting for her in the private hospital. But in Rakan KKM, the specialist’s teammates are expected to come from the public sector.
Dzulkefly today did not explain whether health care workers in the understaffed health service other than specialists – such as housemen, medical officers, staff nurses, or medical assistants – have the time to work in Rakan KKM.
He did not specify if specialists will be told to choose between locum in the conventional private sector and Rakan KKM on their one working day a week.
The minister’s remarks also indicate that Rakan KKM, which aims to provide elective procedures in four government hospitals, may operate during working hours, not just after hours or weekends as initially claimed by MOH officials on X.
