The group said the decision to go on strike was necessary as the “gentle” approach was ineffective and a more drastic method was needed to ensure the country’s healthcare system was unaffected by low morale, Utusan Malaysia reported.

The daily did not identify the group.

Among the demands the doctors are lobbying for are an increase in the on-call allowance and a salary increase to be included in the 2025 national budget to be tabled in October.

The Hartal Doktor Kontrak group – an advocate for the welfare of junior doctors – has distanced itself from the proposed strike, despite this group of doctors pleading with it and the Malaysian Medical Association to join them in pushing for the said demands.

“We don’t know anything about the planned strike,” its spokesman, Dr Muhammad Yassin, said.

“But we agree for the allowance to be increased by RM25 an hour (from the previous rate of RM9.16) which is appropriate for those who are on call.”

Last year, a group of doctors which identified itself as Mogok Doktor Malaysia organised a three-day strike to protest “unfair systems” and “low wages”.