63% of medical officers report for duty in Sabah, Sarawak

Only 63% of medical officers offered permanent postings in Sabah and Sarawak this year have reported for duty, says health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.

He said 337 of the 527 medical officers offered postings in Sarawak reported for duty, and 336 of the 528 medical officers offered postings in Sabah.

Dzulkefly said this year’s figure was an improvement from 2025, when 58% of medical officers offered postings reported for duty.

“While there is some progress, I am not comfortable with this level of performance,” he added.

Dzulkefly said several factors contributed to medical officers rejecting permanent postings in Sabah and Sarawak such as being separated from their families, unwillingness to serve in rural areas, and a preference for working at health facilities in urban areas.

Other reasons included health problems; logistical, financial and personal difficulties; as well as the high cost of relocation, he said.

Dzulkefly said there was also a perception among medical officers that they would have fewer opportunities to pursue specialist studies if posted to Sabah and Sarawak.

He said the ministry had taken steps to encourage more medical officers to report for duty in the two states, including improving its placement system.

Dzulkefly said the ministry would also provide briefings on the placement process and announce placement decisions earlier to give officers enough time to prepare before reporting for duty.

He said medical officers would be paid in full for costs incurred during their transfer, including expenses for meals, accommodation and additional travel.

Dzulkefly said medical officers were also eligible to receive what is known as an inconvenience or disturbance allowance, at a rate equivalent to one month of the officer’s basic salary, when transferring back to their original region.

He said the ministry would also give additional merit to medical officers who had served in Sabah and Sarawak when considering applications for specialist training programmes and study leave.

It was reported last week that as many as 76% of medical officers assigned to permanent postings in Sabah and Sarawak failed to report for duty.

The ministry subsequently clarified that the placement process was ongoing, with the 4,255 medical officers who received offers through its ePlacement portal given until Oct 7 to report to their assigned facilities.

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.