Who did health minister consult over shift work, Bersatu leader asks

Summary

• Bersatu supreme council member Dr Mohd Yadzil Yaakub questions who were the experts that the Health Ministry consulted before announcing the Flexible Working Hours (WBB) pilot project, which was quickly cancelled following backlash.

• Yadzil describes the decision as an example of poor governance, where decisions were announced first before any planning was done.

• He highlights other critical issues in the healthcare sector while congratulating those who defended healthcare workers’ rights.

Bersatu supreme council member Dr Mohd Yadzil Yaakub has criticised the Health Ministry’s decision to cancel the Flexible Working Hours (WBB) pilot project, questioning the process behind the planning.

In a Facebook post, Yadzil (above) asked Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad who were the experts consulted during the project’s planning phase.

“Only now is the ministry setting up a special committee to study the working schedule arrangement. Shouldn’t this committee have been formed earlier?” he lamented. 

Yesterday, Dzulkefly announced the cancellation of the WBB pilot project, pending a comprehensive study.

Former Health Ministry director-general Abu Bakar Suleiman will chair the committee to review the initiative, initially set to launch on Feb 1 across seven hospitals.

Announce first, plan later

Yadzil, a practising doctor, criticised the move as an example of poor governance, where decisions are announced before proper planning.

“Entering the third year of this coalition government, Malaysia remains stagnant. It’s incompetent,” he remarked.

He emphasised the importance of thorough research and stakeholder input, especially from frontline healthcare workers, before finalising decisions to ensure better outcomes.

The Bersatu leader also highlighted the pressing need to address other critical issues in the healthcare sector and congratulated groups like Cuepacs and the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) for standing up for healthcare workers’ rights.

“Only doctors truly understand the work of doctors,” he concluded.

The MMA previously raised concerns about the WBB project, warning that it risked further burdening the already overstretched public healthcare system.

While the project was aimed to reduce working hours and improve conditions, the MMA noted issues, including no allowance for work past 5pm on weekdays and the inclusion of graveyard shifts within the standard 45-hour work week.

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