You’ve probably seen the headlines praising Budget 2026 for “raising doctors’ allowances” and “strengthening health care.” You may have even heard that doctors received a “40 per cent increase” in on-call allowance — as if the government just performed a miracle.
Allow me to explain, from the inside, how reality has once again been dressed up to look like reform.
The 40% On-Call Raise: A Masterclass In Illusion
Here’s what the government announced:
- RM200 → RM280 (Weekday on-call)
- RM220 → RM308 (Weekend on-call)
Sounds generous, until you do the math.
Doctors on 24-hour active calls were previously paid RM9.16 per hour. With this “40 per cent” increment, that becomes RM12.83 per hour — an increase of just RM3 per hour.
Three ringgit. The price of a bottle of mineral water at Starbucks. This is what they’re selling to the public as a victory.
Meanwhile, many Uber drivers, private tutors, baristas, and part-time retail staff make more per hour than government doctors saving lives in high-dependency wards.
Malaysia: where a person ferrying passengers is paid more per hour than the doctor resuscitating one.
And Guess What? There’s Still No Official Circular
Before anyone believes this allowance will actually appear in payslips, let me say this clearly:
- There is no pekeliling yet.
- There is no black-and-white directive.
- There is no payment mechanism.
- There is no timeline.
- There is no confirmation of backpay.
We have seen this script too many times:
- Announce loudly in Parliament.
- Let the media blast it out.
- Let the rakyat believe it’s done.
- Then quietly delay, water it down, or apply “selectively” later.
Until the pekeliling is issued, nothing is guaranteed.
The Tricks They Can Still Pull (And Probably Will)
Malaysians deserve to know what may happen next:
- Weekend-Only Increment: They may quietly apply the 40 per cent only to weekend calls. Weekday rates might remain the same.
- Resurrection of WBB (Shift System): They can reintroduce the rejected WBB schedule and call it “modernisation,” using this allowance increase as bait.
- Department-Selective Application: They may restrict the increment to ED, O&G, or anaesthesia only, and tell the rest to “tunggu fasa seterusnya.”
But the headline remains “Doctors get 40 per cent.” And the public will think the problem is solved.
Judges Get A 30 Per Cent Raise, Doctors Get RM3/Hour
Here’s the part most Malaysians don’t know:
In the same Budget 2026, the government approved a 30 per cent salary increase for judges — official, confirmed, and without delay.
So clearly, the government can reward critical professions, when they choose to.
But health care workers? We get RM3/hour and a press release. So the issue isn’t money. It’s priority.
If judges can get 30 per cent, why can’t doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and specialists who are leaving the system in droves?
If we lose doctors to migration, who will be left to treat the rakyat these judges preside over?
Ministry Of Health (MOH) Budget: 2.8 Per Cent: A Cosmetic Touch-Up
The health budget increased by only 2.8 per cent — from RM45.25 billion to RM46.5 billion. This is the smallest increase in years, despite overcrowded wards, staff shortages, and a rising NCD crisis.
Development expenditure increased by RM7 million. Not billion. Million. That buys:
- Two hospital elevators, OR
- A few dozen chairs, OR
- One consultant’s office upgrade (if connected to the right YB)
And yet, they call this “strengthening health care.”
Sugar Subsidies Survive, But Health Care Doesn’t
While the MOH begs for resources, the government is still preserving sugar subsidies.
Yes, the same government that introduced a sugar tax to fight diabetes is protecting the subsidy that fuels it.
Diabetes is now one of the biggest drivers of dialysis, amputations, strokes, heart attacks, and health expenditure, but subsidised gula remains untouchable.
Preventive care? Underfunded. Dialysis? Overloaded. Health care workers? Underpaid.
Sugar? Dilindungi.
Malaysia is the only place where you can subsidise a disease while starving the system that treats it.
GP Fees: Ceiling Naik, Maruah Turun
The consultation ceiling was raised to RM80, but the RM10 floor remains. With the floor untouched, third party administrators (TPAs) will continue paying doctors RM30 to RM35 per consultation, sometimes less.
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) had demanded a RM50 minimum.
Then we act shocked when clinics close and hospitals get flooded.
Why Are Doctors Leaving? Here’s Why
- Allowances: Insulting.
- Workload: Inhumane.
- Infrastructure: Outdated.
- Policies: Directionless.
- Leadership: PR over substance.
And Budget 2026 does nothing to stop resignations, burnout, or migration. This isn’t reform. It’s a press release with decimals.
What The Government Wants You To Believe Versus Reality
Narrative: “We care about doctors. We increased allowances and the budget.”
Reality:
- They increased on-call rates from miserable to slightly less miserable.
- They increased the budget just enough to print headlines.
- They ignored long-term collapse.
Doctors don’t need 40 per cent of peanuts. We need a system that retains us before we walk away.
When The System Breaks, Don’t Blame The Doctors
If more of us resign, migrate, or switch sectors, it’s not because we “lack patriotism.” It’s because those in power refuse to value the people keeping the system alive.
When hospitals run short of specialists and MOs, don’t say: “Kenapa doktor lari?”
Ask instead: “Siapa yang biar mereka pergi?”
Final Words
This Budget delivers one message loud and clear: “We’ll do the bare minimum to look good, because the public won’t notice, and the doctors will survive somehow.”
Until the public understands the truth, the government will keep pretending the crisis is solved.
Malaysia doesn’t need another press statement. It needs the political will to stop the bleeding, before there’s no one left to treat you.
The author is a medical officer at a public hospital in the Klang Valley.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
