The purpose of this letter is to address the shortcomings of a statement made by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak under Budget 2017 that was announced on Oct 21 - “To appoint the first group of doctors, dentists and pharmacists on contract latest by December 2016 due to constraints in permanent post. In other words, nearly 2,600 doctors without housemanship will now serve on contract”.

Many breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this promising statement, most of them belonged to the unemployed graduates that has been waiting for the job for over a year. However, concerns were raised over the vague description of the statement.

The contract employment of medical graduates (doctors, pharmacists, dentists) for housemanship has not been implemented in the past. Therefore, questions have been asked as of whether the contract would offer inferior salary scheme, training and career growth as compared to the permanent position.

Besides, the consequences after the end of contract tenure were not properly laid out, leaving their future hanging. For many, the creation of this contract scheme is seen as a short-term resolution by the government which wants to delay the issue into the future.

Besides, the statement has exclusive emphasis to the doctors, putting the pharmacy and dental graduates in doubt, whether the intake of doctors will be prioritised over them. According to recent data from the Public Services Commission of Malaysia, there are currently 4,000 applicants for the U41 pharmacy position, but only 800 were called for the recent interview.

Most of these interviewee have waited for more than a year, being unemployed or having inconsistent jobs. This has posed significant financial burden to them, while taking a toll on their career progression at the same time. Therefore, it is suggested that both pharmacists and dental graduates are treated on par with the doctors.

In the midst of the final tuning of this contract, there is a need to pester the government to commit to resolutions that would protect the medical profession and ensuring future graduates would not suffer the current unemployment dilemma. Professional bodies like the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society should act in a timely manner to maintain the honour and interest of the respective professions as part of their duty in this area.