KUALA LUMPUR (July 27): No disciplinary actions will be taken against doctors who went on strike yesterday under the Hartal Doktor Kontrak protest, according to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba. 

During his winding up speech at the Dewan Rakyat today, Adham said the doctors who took part in the strike had the right to gather and express their views.

“No action will be taken against them, even though they held a demonstration yesterday. They have the right to do so,” he said.

The issue of contract-appointed healthcare workers was brought to light at the special Parliament sitting since yesterday by members of parliament (MPs), including Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Jelebu MP Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias, Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, as well as former Health Minister and Kuala Selangor MP Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who gave his reply speech on behalf of the opposition leader earlier today. 

In his speech, Dzulkefly urged the government to drop disciplinary actions and police investigations against contract doctors who participated in the nationwide walkout yesterday. 

"For all it’s worth, I implore the Perikatan Nasional government to not punish or take any disciplinary actions against all doctors involved in the contract doctors strike.

“They’re exercising their democractic rights in a civil way. It is their last resort," he said. 

Local media reported that the police have opened investigations into the protest at Hospital Kuala Lumpur. 

According to Adham, the government will present “interim, moderate and long-term programmes” in order to help resolve the issue. 

For instance, he said contract doctors would now be required to complete four years of mandatory service and that his ministry will propose to amend the Pension Act 1980 and Medical Act 1971 to include these doctors. 

Yesterday, groups of contract doctors in several major hospitals nationwide staged a brief walkout, as part of the Hartal Doktor Kontrak strike. 

The movement saw junior contract doctors clad in black walking out on their posts at several hospitals and health facilities nationwide at 11am, holding placards to demand better employment terms.

Organisers estimated that some 6,000 to 8,000 of the 23,077 contract doctors in the national health care system took part in the walkout. 

The strike aims to demand a fair career path and better employment terms, including salary and perks such as grants for further studies, as they claim theirs are vastly different from their counterparts with permanent positions. 

The issue is believed to have arisen due to a stopgap policy implemented in 2016 that offered temporary contracts to freshly graduated housemen, as a way to employ them without permanently expanding the national headcount for public sector doctors.

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