The Health Ministry has clarified that the proposal for the government to consider hiring new medical officers along racial lines was not the ministry’s stance.

This is in direct response to the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) which yesterday rejected that racial and religious criteria be used to influence the appointment of medical officers for permanent service.

On June 16, Malaysian Public Health Physicians’ Association (PPPKAM) president Dr Zainal Ariffin had reportedly said a review would allow more medical graduates “especially among the bumiputera” to get permanent placement in the civil service...