Sarawak activist slams federal plan to import 15,000 Indonesian nurses, demands healthcare autonomy

Peter John Jaban

By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, June 11: Sarawak rights activist Peter John Jaban has urged the federal government to address what he described as a growing wage and retention crisis among local nurses instead of relying on plans to recruit up to 15,000 Indonesian nurses to fill vacancies in the healthcare sector.

In a statement today, Peter argued that the proposed recruitment drive was a symptom of deeper structural issues within the country’s healthcare system, particularly low wages and poor retention of locally trained healthcare professionals.

He claimed Malaysia does not face a shortage of nursing talent but rather a shortage of policies capable of retaining skilled workers, pointing to the migration of Malaysian nurses to countries such as Singapore and those in the Middle East in search of better pay and working conditions.

“When a fresh Malaysian nurse in a public hospital is expected to survive on a base salary of roughly RM2,600 to RM3,500 while enduring brutal 24-hour shifts, it is not a career but it is exploitation.

”Across the causeway, Singapore lures them with RM12,000 to RM17,000 a month, while Dubai offers up to RM18,000 tax-free.

”Putrajaya’s brilliant counter-offer? Bring in 15,000 foreign workers instead of fixing the leaky bucket,” he said.

Peter also contended that the proposal may not effectively address healthcare challenges in Sarawak, particularly in rural and remote areas where staffing shortages remain a persistent concern.

According to him, recruiting foreign nurses may benefit larger urban healthcare centres but is unlikely to resolve manpower issues faced by clinics and hospitals in interior regions such as Kapit, Baram and Lawas.

Citing the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Peter called for greater healthcare autonomy for Sarawak, arguing that the State should be empowered to manage its own healthcare workforce and implement remuneration packages tailored to local needs.

Among the measures proposed by the activist were an immediate freeze on any government-to-government nurse recruitment agreement with Indonesia pending a review of local nurse retention policies, greater devolution of healthcare powers to Sarawak, and the introduction of a 35 per cent market-incentive allowance for nurses serving in public hospitals and rural clinics.

“If Malaysian nurses are valued enough to serve in world-class hospital systems of Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Australia, they should also be valued and rewarded appropriately at home,” he added.

His remarks came following reports that Indonesia is prepared to supply up to 15,000 nurses to Malaysia to help address an estimated 18 per cent vacancy rate in the country’s healthcare workforce.

The proposal was reportedly raised by Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Datuk Raden Mohammad Iman Hascarya Kusumo during a bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono on the sidelines of the 17th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation meeting in Indonesia last week, New Straits Times reported.

On June 4, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Malaysia will consider Indonesia’s proposal to allow its citizens to work in the country’s healthcare sector, particularly as nurses. — DayakDaily