Contract MOs are equally deserving

CONGRATULATIONS to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on becoming the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia. The rakyat awaits the formation of his Cabinet, particularly the appoint-ment of the health minister in the light of the Covid-19 outbreak. While the outbreak has been in the spotlight for obvious reasons, the newly-minted health minister will also have to deal with the yet-to-be resolved issue of contract medical officers (MOs).

Contract MOs are junior MOs undergoing their mandatory service with the Health Ministry. Even though the ministry had, in November 2019, announced that contract MOs will be promoted from the housemanship grade UD41 to grade UD43, contract MOs are still working under UD41 terms today. This means that, despite having the same responsibilities and workload of permanent MOs, contract MOs are being denied equal treatment.