KUALA LUMPUR: On-call allowances for medical officers and dentists are set to cost the government RM407mil annually, starting next year.
The health ministry stated that the allowances, which have not been reviewed since 2011, have been increased by 40%.
“In line with this government decision, the existing allowance rates for medical specialists and dental specialists have been raised to new rates ranging from RM135 to RM350 per night. Meanwhile, for non-specialist medical officers and dental officers, the new allowance rates are between RM110 and RM300 per night,” it said in a parliamentary written reply dated Dec 4.
To ensure that medical officers and dental officers can immediately benefit from this increase in allowance rates, the Health Ministry has directed all its health facilities to enforce the implementation of the new allowance rates at their respective facilities starting Oct 1, 2025, as approved by the government,” it added.
The new allowance rates are also applicable to the Armed Forces healthcare facilities and those under universities.
The Health Ministry spends an average of RM287mil each year on allowances. These funds are sourced from allocations distributed by central agencies for allowance payments.
“To support the increase in allowance rates as announced under Budget 2026, the government has approved an additional allocation of RM120 million per year for the Health Minister,” it added.
The ministry was responding to a question by Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy (BN-Kalabakan) on whether the government can pay the new allowance rates as promised and ensure there is no recurrence of delays in implementing the latest rates.
