KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) urged medical officers today to report for duty by October 7 at their new placements, amid many early no-shows in Sabah and Sarawak.
The ministry clarified that the process of doctors reporting for duty was still ongoing and not complete yet, after the permanent appointment intake of 4,255 UD10 medical officers began last September 28.
“Following the ongoing process, the MOH urges all medical officers who have yet to report for duty to do so immediately. The officers concerned are reminded to complete the reporting-in process at their respective Centres of Responsibility (PTJ) before the stipulated deadline of October 7, 2026,” said the MOH in a statement today.
“Therefore, the MOH urges all parties not to draw any premature conclusions and to allow the placement process to proceed smoothly.”
CodeBlue reported yesterday anecdotal reports by doctors on the ground in Sabah and Sarawak about extremely high no-show rates among medical officers, who were supposed to report for duty last September 28 in the October intake of more than 4,000 permanent appointments nationwide.
The no-shows for permanent positions reportedly ranged from as high as 100 per cent, or zero medical officers reporting for duty, in at least four hospitals in Sabah and Sarawak (Beluran, Keningau, Sipitang, and Kanowit) to 70 per cent to 76 per cent in other hospitals or public health clinics.
A doctor later told CodeBlue that Lahad Datu Hospital in Sabah saw a high no-show rate of 67 per cent, as only four medical officers (MO) reported for duty out of 12 openings. The facility lost 28 MOs to transfers in the permanent appointment intake.
“Most departments are working on single-digit MO numbers, with about 12 to 13 active calls per month.”
On Threads, a person wrote that zero MOs reported for duty at Limbang Hospital in Sarawak out of 16 postings on paper, yielding a 100 per cent no-show rate.
“Ten MOs transferred out. No one came in. There’s no medical specialist. We have an outpatient department, but it’s run by the hospital. The idea of quitting MOH is a very tempting option now,” said the person.
The MOH’s statement today differed from a letter sent to doctors involved in the second phase of this year’s ePlacement drive. According to the letter, which someone posted on Threads last August 23, September 28 was set for reporting for duty, with permanent appointments taking effect a week later on October 5.
In an April 2025 CodeBlue survey among more than 900 MOs nationwide, 62 per cent of participants said they would rather quit than serve outside their home state. For most, family trumped career.
According to the poll, the top two factors that would motivate MOs to serve in Sabah, Sarawak, or rural or interior areas were higher pay or incentives and fixed service duration.
A doctor commenting on CodeBlue’s “no-show” article on Facebook wrote that she was among those who rejected a posting to Sarawak. “Sorry, Sarawakians. My husband and children are more important. If I die, an angel will ask me about my responsibilities to my family first before country and people.”
