KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — Doctor groups have cautiously welcomed the government’s announcement of a 40 per cent increase in on-call allowances (ETAP) for medical officers under Budget 2026, saying they will wait for details from the Ministry of Health (MOH) before celebrating the move.
The announcement comes a year after widespread discontent over the Waktu Bekerja Berlainan (WBB) system, which was tied to an earlier ETAP revision that never materialised after the controversial work-hour arrangement was cancelled.
In a statement today, Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) said it welcomed the ETAP increase but urged the government to ensure that the raise is implemented transparently and independently of any new work system.
“We would like to thank the government for this raise, a first revision since 2011. This increase is way lower than our demand of RM25 per hour but this is still a positive step, and we hope revision will be made compulsory every two to three years between 20 and 30 per cent,” HDK said.
The group said the 40 per cent increase “will surely improve morale,” but cautioned that doctors previously “felt cheated” when ETAP increments announced in Budget 2025 were tied to the WBB schedule.
“Last year, the prime minister announced an increase of almost RM65 for ETAP, but we felt cheated when it was actually tied to the new working system, which was the WBB. This WBB was heavily criticised and finally cancelled, and the doctors ended up not having any increase in ETAP last year,” HDK said.
HDK also welcomed the creation of 4,500 new permanent positions for contract medical officers, calling it “a huge number” that reflects government recognition of the workforce crisis in public health care.
“The increase in permanent posts provides more job security to young doctors who have uncertain futures in the contract system.
“We believe it’s a huge number and reflects the government’s realisation that the public health care sector is in crisis due to a shrinking workforce, mostly contributed by contract doctors who have left the service for greener pastures either locally or overseas,” the group said.
While praising the move, HDK said more could still be done to improve retention.
“Those who had been offered permanent (positions) had to be relocated far from their current places, such as to Sabah or Sarawak, yet they are not able to claim transfer allowances and other expenses that can go up to RM10,000, which is definitely burdensome to these young doctors.
“This is one of the main push factors that cause these doctors to reject permanent posts. The government did not address this issue in the Budget, however we hope it will be addressed soon,” HDK added.
The group reiterated its call for contract doctors to be automatically absorbed into permanent service after a fixed number of years, such as three, to ensure job security and improve morale.
MMA Awaiting Implementation Details On ETAP, Welcomes New Permanent Posts
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) also welcomed the ETAP increase, calling it “a well-deserved recognition” of doctors’ dedication, but stressed that implementation details were crucial.
“We appreciate the increase in on-call allowances, which is a well-deserved recognition of the dedication shown by doctors and specialists. However, we await details on implementation and on the quantum of increment, especially for medical officer on-call rates,” said MMA president Dr R. Arasu in a statement.
MMA said the creation of 4,500 permanent positions for contract doctors was another positive step that must be supported with long-term workforce planning for other critical health professions.
The doctors’ body also commended allocations for hospital and clinic upgrades and digital capacity enhancements, while reiterating that adequate staffing remains the most pressing issue facing the public health system.
“However, hardware alone is not enough — adequate staffing remains the most pressing issue. Without sufficient doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals, facility upgrades will not meaningfully reduce system pressure,” Dr Arasu said.
The 40 per cent ETAP increase and the creation of 4,500 new permanent doctor posts were announced in Budget 2026, which allocated RM46.5 billion to the MOH — a modest 2.8 per cent increase from 2025. The budget also raised the maximum general practitioner (GP) consultation fee to RM80, marking the first revision in 17 years.
