Its president, Amrahi Buang, said the perceived unequal treatment has unsettled the profession, and the government must explain why pharmacists have been excluded.
“Of course, we feel disadvantaged. Are we not part of the healthcare team treating patients as well? I have seen many stories on social media and received personal feedback from affected pharmacists. It is very disturbing,” he told FMT.
He said the contract policy had backfired, pushing pharmacists out of the public health system and straining patient services – a situation he said will worsen by year-end as more contracts expire, affecting both public and private facilities.
Amrahi also called for the government to integrate the health system into a fully unified model to ensure equal access for all.
“Currently, Malaysia’s health system is fragmented. It must be integrated to ensure equal access for all. The government also needs to introduce a national social insurance scheme to achieve universal coverage,” he said.
“Pooling financial resources from EPF, Socso, zakat and waqf into a national financing scheme under government control would help achieve universal health coverage. Genuine political will is also needed to implement this,” he added.
Earlier this month, FMT reported that 45 experienced contract pharmacists were set to lose their jobs on April 4 after failing to receive appointment letters, despite being offered permanent posts last October.
The health ministry later clarified that there will be no extensions for pharmacists who have reached the five-year contract limit, adding that they may reapply when permanent positions open in 2027.
In contrast, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad announced in February that the contract system for medical officers will be phased out to address staffing shortages.
Weakness of contract system
Former senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran said reliance on short-term contracts has disrupted continuity, institutional memory and skills development, weakening the pipeline of future specialists and leaders.
A former Sungai Bakap Hospital director, Lingeshwaran said there could be an oversupply of pharmacists and dentists as a result of too few permanent posts, leaving junior doctors struggling with uncertain specialist pathways, and allied health workers lacking clear career progression.
“When doctors, pharmacists and dentists are uncertain about their career progression, they are less likely to invest in public service or pursue specialisation. Over time, this weakens the pipeline of future specialists and leaders,” he told FMT.
Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy CEO Azrul Mohd Khalib said the stopgap policy has instead created insecurity, delayed career progression and weakened confidence in public service.
“You cannot build reliable pharmacy, mental health, or primary care services on a workforce that is demoralised and constantly worried about whether it will still have a job in a few months,” he said.
Why reforms keep stalling
Lingeshwaran said successive governments have failed to resolve the contract issue due to fiscal constraints, weak workforce planning, fragmented governance and short political cycles.
He added that converting large numbers of contract staff into permanent posts carries long-term pension and salary obligations, while training output has not kept pace with system needs.
“With human resource decisions spread across agencies and policies shifting with each administration, the health ministry’s autonomy is limited. This is why structural reform – not piecemeal fixes – is necessary,” he said.
He called for a health services commission to be set up to give the ministry greater control over recruitment and career progression, alongside full implementation of the Health White Paper. He also called for targeted workforce planning, stronger rural retention incentives, and a national health workforce data system.
Azrul called for a clear pathway from contract to permanent employment, expansion of funded posts based on service needs, improved placement and promotion processes, and stronger retention through fair pay, career progression and hardship incentives.