The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) calls on the government to urgently revert to the previous percentage-based Regional Incentive Payment (BIW) and introduce stronger incentives to attract and retain doctors in Sabah and Sarawak.
MMA is deeply concerned by reports that large numbers of medical officers did not report for their permanent postings in Sabah and Sarawak on September 28, 2026.
Some facilities reportedly received no new medical officers, while others recorded no-show rates of between 70 and 76 per cent. The official figures should be urgently verified and made public.
If contract medical officers are refusing permanent positions, it points to deeper problems that cannot be ignored.
