Kota Kinabalu: The Joint Council of Presidents and Secretaries-General of Ministry of Health Malaysia Unions (MAPSU) has urged the Health Ministry (MOH) to prioritise filling vacant nursing positions with local graduates before considering the recruitment of nurses from Indonesia.
Its President, Ajulahin Japin said the frequently cited shortage of nurses should not be automatically attributed to a lack of local talent.
He was responding to a proposal by Malaysia’s Foreign Minister to expand the placement of Indonesian nursing personnel in Malaysia.
“We respect the longstanding bilateral relationship between the two countries across various sectors, including healthcare. However, any move to recruit Indonesian nurses must be carefully studied and undertaken with full consideration of the interests of the local nursing workforce,” he said in a statement, Wednesday.
Ajulahin said attention should be given to factors such as the number of approved positions, the rate at which existing vacancies are being filled, employment opportunities for nursing graduates, and efforts to retain experienced nurses within the public healthcare system.
He noted that many local nursing graduates are still awaiting permanent or contract placements in the health sector, making it imperative that available positions be offered to Malaysians first.
While MAPSU is not opposed to bringing in Indonesian expertise for specialised areas, he stressed that any such arrangement should be limited, targeted and based on a clear assessment of actual workforce needs.
“It must not compromise the employment opportunities, career prospects or professional development of local nurses,” he said.
Ajulahin also urged the Ministry to engage nursing unions before making any policy decision, stressing that worker representatives play a vital role in shaping policies that genuinely serve the national healthcare system.
“Excluding their views risks producing decisions that may undermine the interests of the local workforce,” he added.
