PETALING JAYA: Medical bodies have expressed concerns over the cut in allowance for newly appointed medical officers in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.
Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo said the reduction of the Regional Incentive Allowance (BIW) was not just about numbers.
“It is a reflection of how we value the contributions of our doctors serving in these regions, regardless of whether they are posted to urban or rural districts,” he said in a statement on Friday (Dec 19).
The BIW, under the Public Service Remuneration System, is given to public service officers who relocate to a different area.
It was reported by CodeBlue that medical officers newly appointed or eligible from Dec 1, 2024, received a smaller BIW allowance than their seniors for transfers to Sabah, Sarawak, or Labuan.
The new BIW rate was reportedly reduced to a fixed rate of RM360 monthly for the management and professional (P&P) group of Grades 9 to 15.
Prior to this, the allowance was set at a percentage of an officer’s salary.
Dr Thirunavukarasu said BIW was never meant as a bonus, but has always been a form of acknowledgement to recognise the unique challenges in relocating to different territories.
He said the reality was that these states face consistent structural challenges: higher cost of living, logistical limitations, stretched manpower, and fewer training or advancement opportunities.
“Cutting it sends a disheartening message to young doctors: that their commitment and sacrifices are less valued depending on when they were appointed,” he said.
He said the MMA has raised the issue with the Prime Minister and relevant ministries.
In a Facebook post, the Malaysian Pharmacists Society (MPS), together with the Sarawak Pharmaceutical Society and Sabah Pharmaceutical Society, said they stood in solidarity with medical officers in expressing serious concern over recent changes to the BIW.
“These changes similarly affect newly appointed pharmacists appointed to Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan,” the statement said.
The societies called on the government to review the BIW framework for healthcare professionals to consider location-based or progressive mechanisms that better reflect salary progression, cost of living differences and the reality of cross-regional deployment.
