PETALING JAYA: About one third of 300 permanent positions offered to contract doctors this month have been rejected, says the Health Ministry.

       These permanent positions will no longer be offered to those who rejected them, said Health ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Shafiq Abdullah.

       He said that of the 300 positions offered, 85 rejected the offer while 15 resigned after gaining employment elsewhere.

       He said that the opportunities for permanent positions should not be rejected at a time when contract doctors were demanding permanent positions in the government.

       “A permanent position will not be offered a second time to those who rejected this offer so that others who are waiting can get the position,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Aug 24).

       He said that 150 positions had been offered in Sabah and 150 positions in Sarawak.

       He added that 1,089 permanent positions had been offered to contract doctors since 2018.

       On July 26, a group of contract doctors called “Hartal Doktor Kontrak” carried out a nationwide walkout at government hospitals to push for reform of the system which, they claim, hinders their career progress and offers no job security.

       On July 23, the then prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the government agreed to provide contract medical officers, dentists and pharmacists career opportunities on par with permanent medical officers.

       Muhyiddin also announced that the Cabinet decided to allow contract officers other benefits such as fully paid study leave, but did not address the group's demand for permanent positions for all government contract workers at present.

       The government, in response to the group's demands, offered to extend their contracts to a minimum of four years.