Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament Dr Kelvin Yii said the health minister should not have asked the doctors to be patient if Putrajaya does not give any clarity on the issue. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
KUCHING, July 17 — Bandar Kuching Member of Parliament Dr Kelvin Yii urged Putrajaya to disclose the decision of the federal Cabinet on the appeal by contract doctors to be appointed to permanent positions in the civil service.
He said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Minister of Health Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba had promised these contract doctors that their concerns and demands would be discussed at the Cabinet meeting which was held last Wednesday.
He said Dr Adham was even reported advising the contract doctors to be patient as the matter would be discussed by the Cabinet.
“However, until today, no official statement or direction has been revealed by any of them to the dismay of many health workers involved and even the public at large who are standing in solidarity with them to demand a fair solution for our contract healthcare workers,” Dr Yii said in a statement.
He said the health minister should not have asked the doctors to be patient if Putrajaya does not give any clarity on the issue.
He said the federal government should resolve the contract system now, as it cannot be postponed anymore.
“There are policy decisions that the Cabinet can make immediately including allowing contract workers to apply for Hadiah Latihan Persekutuan (HLP) to further their Masters and specialisation and also for them to enjoy similar benefits as they have the same work burden and responsibility and face the same risk with their permanent counterparts.
“Such policy decisions may not incur major financial commitments and could be good first steps to resolve this issue comprehensively,” Dr Yii said.