KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) aims to obtain a policy decision from the Cabinet on the establishment of the Health Service Commission (SPK) this year and, if approved, table the Bill in Parliament by the end of the 15th Parliament at the latest.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the establishment of the commission would further strengthen the management of human resources and the welfare of healthcare personnel, covering all 86 service schemes under the MOH.

He said the SPK would not have the authority to create new positions, formulate the remuneration system or determine emolument rates, as these functions fall under the purview of the Public Service Department (JPA) and the Ministry of Finance.

“The SPK’s powers are subject to Article 144 of the Federal Constitution, namely matters relating to the power to appoint, confirm and place personnel in permanent or pensionable positions, promote, transfer and exercise disciplinary control over members of the service.

“Following this, the MOH held an engagement session with other service commissions and the JPA on Oct 22 to obtain further information on the duties and functions of the commission as well as the process for establishing it,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa (PH-Sekijang), who asked about the minister’s commitment to table the Health Service Commission Bill for its first reading by the end of 2027, in line with the reform aspirations of the 2023 Health White Paper.

Dzulkefly said the MOH continued to improve human resource-related matters through the establishment of the MOH Staffing Task Force with all central agencies.

“This includes the mandate given by the JPA to the MOH to manage the distribution of positions, the rates of payment for on-call duty allowances (ETAP), as well as the permanent appointment of 15,000 contract medical officers since 2023, including 9,000 permanent appointments specifically for 2027, which will ultimately bring an end to the contract doctor system.

“These are among our efforts to improve matters while moving towards the establishment of a Health Service Commission, as envisaged in the White Paper by the Health Reform Commission,” he said.

In response to a supplementary question from Datuk Dr Alias Razak (PN-Kuala Nerus) on comprehensive reforms through the SPK following the resignation of 3,510 medical officers between 2024 and 2026, he said the MOH had created a special quota of up to 30 per cent for opportunities to pursue specialist studies, specifically for medical officers serving in Sabah and Sarawak.

“We hope this commission will be able to resolve the legacy issues that I have inherited for so long. But today, we have already put in place several foundations for solutions, including increasing permanent positions,” he said. — Bernama