Should Malaysian Doctors Unionize and Strike?
Currently a junior doctor working as a houseman in one of the GHs. Seeing the current abysmal working conditions, poor remuneration, and hazy RNG-based career progression of government doctors, things feel pretty bleak right now, with no light at the end of the tunnel. MO-ship is probably going to get even worse for a lot of us. Escaping overseas is also getting harder day by day, especially with recent changes like the UK medical training law.
I can’t help but think that Malaysian government doctors should seriously consider formally unionizing and reforming the profession through collective bargaining. All the usual efforts so far don’t seem to have produced much meaningful change, and the profession feels like it is getting worse day by day.
MMA, in its current form, is at most an advocacy organization. It can speak up, release statements, and lobby, but it does not really have bargaining power. Without any real fear of service disruption or coordinated pushback, the government can remain complacent and continue squeezing whatever is left of the workforce. The status quo of underpaid and overworked healthcare workers will just continue.
Unions and strikes in developed countries like the UK, Australia, Korea, and others have shown that collective action can improve pay, working conditions, and career progression for doctors and other healthcare staff. Obviously Malaysia has its own laws and realities, and healthcare strikes are not a simple issue. But at the same time, if there is no leverage at all, why would anything meaningfully change?
So should Malaysian doctors do the same, or at least move towards some form of proper collective bargaining? I understand that the public is usually supportive until it affects health services, then suddenly doctors are labeled as entitled and greedy.
I’d like to hear what everyone thinks, especially fellow doctors — HOs, MOs, specialists, and those who have left government service. Is unionizing realistic here? If not, what other option actually has enough bargaining power to fix the current system?
EDIT: Tried to improve context and framing. Sorry guys I’m pretty tired…