Federal government urged to consider critical service incentive payment

suppadmin | December 27, 2019

Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian stated that, he was very concerned about the cancellation of the “Critical Service Incentive Payment” (BIPK) by the Public Service Department (JPA) and hoped that the federal government could reconsider its position with Malaysia Medical Association and to take medical staffs’ needs seriously.

He has raised his personal view to the Minister of Health, Datuk Seri Dr. Haji Dzulkefly Ahmad, who he agreed to bring up the issue again in the Federal Cabinet for discussion.

He worried such a rash action would destroy of the well established medical services that takes years to build and cause disastrous consequences for the patients.

“Many doctors and members of the Malaysian Medical Association have voiced their surprise and unhappiness about the allowance cut.”

Sim Kui Hian said that, back then when he served at public hospitals, allowances including critical service incentive, accounted for about 50% of the monthly income.

“Nevertheless, salary of medical doctors in public hospitals are still far below to doctors in private hospitals, earning 5 to 10 times less than medical doctors in private hospitals.”

He emphasized that, there is a need of good quality doctors in public services in order to maintain a good public health care system. The key to good health care services are the medical personnel. With the cut, we not only lose more experience personnel but also discourage good one from joining in the future. It will be worse for rural medical services in Sarawak.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Government will continue to pursue aggressively Health Care autonomy under MA63.