CYBERJAYA: Malaysia now only has around 2,600 active veterinarians, says Datuk Dr Mohd Noor Hisham Mohd Haron.
The Veterinary Services Department (DVS) director-general said that compared to the international benchmark, this was a shortfall of about 5,900 veterinarians from the 8,500 needed to meet current needs.
“The current ratio shows that the country has about one veterinarian for every 13,700 people.The international benchmark, however, suggests that the ratio should be one to 5,000 people.
“This statistic signals that the national need is way above the current capacity.
“At the same time, the demand for veterinary services continues to increase rapidly as more households have pets, but there are only 650 registered veterinary clinics in the country,” he said in his opening speech in conjunction with the Veterinary Day 2026 celebration here on Tuesday (April 21).
The celebration themed "Veterinarians: Guardians of Food and Health" was launched by Agriculture and Food Security Ministry deputy secretary-general (development) Datuk Luqman Ahmad.
Additionally, Dr Mohd Noor Hisham said more attention must be paid to ensure the needs of the country are met for the future as at present only iPutra Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan offer veterinary doctor programmes.
Even though there are thousands of applicants, both universities can only produce between 180 to 220 graduates yearly, which isn’t enough to accommodate the developing needs of the country, he said.
“We welcome the latest development with Management & Science University (MSU) who launched the veterinary doctor programme in August 2025. There are other institutions who have also expressed interest in this field, which is a positive move.
“The challenge of hiring new officers is becoming more apparent especially when graduates prefer to enter the private sector with better perks. This matter must be addressed in a more strategic manner to ensure the civil sector remains competitive and relevant.
“This is because the farming sector requires comprehensive monitoring at every level of production for the sustainability, efficiency and standards compliance of the industry,” he said.
He added that the export industry also relied on the certification by the veterinarians and compliance with international standards in order to enter the global market, signalling the exceeding demand that is limited by capacity.
Meanwhile, Luqman pointed out that the veterinarian profession requires those with interest and passion for animals as the expertise required is different from other jobs.
He said the industry is not just about animal health and safety but one that has many branches including animal farming and research.
During the event, five Excellent Veterinary Awards were presented including Veterinary Services Award, Veterinary Education Award, Ruminant Industry Development Award, Animal Welfare Award and Veterinary Medicine Student Award.
