KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — Restoring the progressive nature of the Regional Incentive Payment (BIW) allowance is a matter for the central agency, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said today.
He also denied MPs’ claims that the federal government had cut the allowance for postings to Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan, clarifying that under the Public Service Remuneration System (SSPA) that came into effect in December 2024, the progressive BIW allowance based on a percentage of one’s basic salary was changed to a fixed rate.
Dzulkefly mentioned that for existing officers, the new BIW allowance rate was fixed at the last drawn amount before SSPA came into effect, whereas newly appointed or eligible officers would get between RM270 to RM960 a month.
The health minister did not specify the rate for the management and professional group that medical, dental, and pharmacy officers fall under – which is RM360 a month – beyond stating the RM270 to RM960 range in Parliament.
According to slides by the Public Service Department (JPA), the RM960 monthly BIW allowance is for top management (Gred Utama/Khas), whereas the management and professional group (Grades 9-15) get RM360 a month. Administrators are eligible for RM300 (Grades 5-8) or RM270 (Grade 1-4) monthly.
“On YB Bandar Kuching and YB Sibu who asked for the BIW allowance to be reinstated to the earlier rate, this is under the central agency’s jurisdiction,” Dzulkefly said during his winding-up of the debate on the motion of thanks on the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat today.
“However, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has and will provide feedback to the central agency to ensure that the interests and welfare of health care workers are protected.”
Doctors’ and pharmacists’ groups previously highlighted the loss of close to RM8,000 a year from the fixed-rate BIW allowance for medical and pharmacy officers. The Malaysian Dental Association has similarly called for a reinstatement of the progressive structure of the BIW allowance.
Dzulkefly also told the House that the Ministry of Finance (MOF) has approved, this year, transfer allowances for contract officers who received permanent appointments last year, but did not specify if the relocation allowance would continue to be provided for the 2026 cohorts.
