World · Malaysia Bureau
Foreign doctors needed to plug medical shortages in Sabah and Sarawak
A Kuching MP has called for the recruitment of foreign medical practitioners to address workforce gaps in Malaysia's East Malaysian states. The proposal is viewed as a temporary measure while the government works to improve salaries and career prospects for local doctors.
LSN Malaysia ·
Dr Kelvin Yii, Member of Parliament for Bandar Kuching, has advocated for hiring overseas-trained doctors to ease the acute medical staff shortage affecting Sabah and Sarawak. The move would serve as a stopgap solution while authorities implement longer-term initiatives to strengthen the local medical profession, he said. The East Malaysian states have long struggled with physician shortages, particularly in rural and remote areas, affecting healthcare delivery across the region. Yii's proposal underscores ongoing challenges in retaining and attracting medical professionals to the states, where career advancement opportunities and remuneration packages have historically lagged behind those in Peninsular Malaysia. The government has signalled its commitment to enhancing working conditions and career progression for local doctors as part of its broader healthcare workforce development strategy.