Kuala Lumpur, 17 July 2021 – The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) called upon authorities to cease its campaign of harassment of doctors in Malaysia who participated in the Code Black and Black Monday campaigns in support of the welfare of contract doctors, as they were simply exercising their freedom of expression and freedom of speech as guaranteed under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. 

IDEAS believes that authorities should consider the escalated frustrations of contract doctors, who are denied the job security and similar welfare protections that other confirmed medical practitioners currently enjoy. As well, contract-based doctors are unable to embark on their specialised training. Despite these inequities, contract doctors have been at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis, being able to be rapidly deployed across the country. 

As stated by IDEAS CEO Tricia Yeoh, “We call upon the government to drop investigations over doctors involved in the campaign, as these doctors were exercising their freedom of expression and freedom of speech, as they are constitutionally permitted to.” 

“We view with concern statements by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) that the doctors investigated by police were left traumatized and afraid after their ordeal. Given that Malaysia’s healthcare apparatus have been pushed to the brink in our latest wave, the last thing we need at this time is for our medical workers to be further demotivated.” 

“The present arrangement of recruiting contract doctors, which was always meant to be temporary, must be improved to ensure fairness to all healthcare professionals in the public service. A long-term solution, such as conversion into permanent status, must be sought to ensure career progression and salary equity, as well as the healthcare system’s sustainability more broadly.”

IDEAS also disagreed with the threats issued by authorities to medical staff who have publicly shared the conditions in hospitals, as some had been doing so to express the true realities on the ground. The think tank urged the authorities to view these incidents as pleas for help from frontline workers, which should be responded to more delicately and with care.    

As noted by Tricia, “We call upon the authorities to end the investigations and threats, in recognition of the fact that our medical frontliners have been working 24/7 to the point of exhaustion. We believe that a policy of transparency about the true situation on the ground and the problems present in our COVID-19 response will be a more effective strategy in the long run than our current policy of outright denial.” 

“In order to combat the pandemic, Malaysia should pursue a ‘whole of society approach’, which includes the government working alongside private and civil society practitioners to address any public health and economic aid gaps within its pandemic response”, she concluded. 

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Zokhri Idris, Ph.D, Director, External Relations
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