THE sharp decline in housemanship position intake and rising resignation rates in the healthcare sector have raised concerns over training conditions, career pathways and system readiness.
MCA deputy president Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said to arrest this decline and restore confidence among young medical graduates, the Health Ministry (MOH) must adopt a comprehensive and forward-looking approach, among others improving the working conditions for house officers.
“Reports of excessive workloads, long hours, bullying by seniors and workplace stress have long discouraged graduates from entering or completing housemanship,” Dr Mah commented.
“Introducing regulated working hours, ensuring adequate rest periods, and strengthening mental health support systems are essential steps to create a safer and more sustainable training environment.”
Dr Mah was responding to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who had earlier disclosed that only 529 medical graduates reported for 5,000 available housemanship positions.
“There must also be a clear and transparent career progression pathway. Many graduates are deterred by uncertainty over permanent placements, contract positions, and limited specialist training opportunities,” he stated.
“The government should provide clearer timelines and guarantees for career advancement, including pathways into specialisation, scholarships for post-graduate studies, and long-term employment within the public healthcare system.”
According to the MCA leader, MOH should also enhance financial and non-financial incentives whereby competitive remuneration, hardship allowances for high-pressure postings, and targeted inentives for service in underserved areas can make housemanship more attractive.
As a ‘heavyweight’ ministry, Dr Mah further said MOH should receive a higher budget allocation to modernise hospitals, upgrade facilities, purchase up-to-date medical equipment and motivate all personnel with better remuneration.
On training, Dr Mah stressed that quality must be strengthened without compromising the wellbeing of medical professionals.
“While the Malaysian Medical Council has rightly raised concerns about maintaining clinical competency, reforms can focus on improving supervision, reducing administrative burdens, and leveraging digital tools to enhance learning efficiency rather than simply shortening training duration,” he said.
“The government should also pursue a whole-of-government strategy, working closely with the Higher Education Ministry to better align medical graduate output with national workforce needs.
“This includes reviewing past policies such as the moratorium on medical programmes and ensuring a balanced, sustainable pipeline of future doctors.”
He also emphasised that rebuilding trust is essential, pointing to the recent tragic deaths of junior doctors in Penang which highlights the urgency in addressing workplace culture, bullying, safety concerns, and mental health support amid high-pressure working environment for medical professionals.
“Transparent investigations and meaningful reforms will be key to restoring confidence among medical graduates,” he noted.
“With private hospital bills and medical insurance soaring and more patients turning to government hospitals for treatment, Malaysia cannot afford a shrinking pool of young doctors.
“Decisive, humane, and systemic reforms are needed to ensure that housemanship remains a viable, respected, and attractive pathway for the next generation of medical professionals.”
On Tuesday (March 17), Dr Dzulkefly told the Dewan Negara that the intake of medical graduates for housemanship has halved since 2019, indicating a sharp contraction in the country’s pipeline of new doctors.
He said 206 house officers resigned during their training in 2024 and 2025, comprising 114 in 2024 and 92 in 2025, compared with 254 who left the programme in 2023.
Dr Dzulkefly said the resignations were due to multiple factors, including personal issues, lack of readiness for housemanship, pursuing further studies, migration overseas and health problems. ‒ March 18, 2026
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