In reference to statements by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) on the status of pharmacists and dental officers who have served the maximum limit of their contracts, we hope that MOH’s human resource division, the Public Service Commission (SPA), and Public Service Department (JPA) are aware that there are currently around 350 pharmacists who are still on the reserve list (calon simpanan) for permanent positions.
The validity of the status for pharmacists is up to October 20, 2026 (urusan no: SM20240191). While the number of dental officers who are waiting for permanent positions hasn’t been officially published, a few batches of contract dental officers are reportedly still waiting.
We hope that the relevant authorities understand the need to retain trained and experienced officers who have served in the Ministry for at least five years in lieu of the current human resource constraint and for service continuity, while providing a proper avenue for career progression through permanent positions.
In MOH’s official statement regarding the status of pharmacists, the next intake for permanent positions will only be made at the end of 2027, in line with the new SSPA lateral entry path for UF10.
This creates deep uncertainty for those who are in the reserve list, as the validity is set to end in October 2026, because they will need to wait for the intake, reapply, and wait for the outcome.
This applies to those who are still serving and approaching the maximum years of contract service between 2026 and 2027.
We hope the relevant authorities can expedite the intake for permanent positions and provide clarity on the status of those who are still waiting.
The author is a pharmacist in the MOH awaiting a permanent position. CodeBlue is providing the author anonymity because civil servants are prohibited from writing to the press.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
