‘Cheap but high quality’: M’sian doctor says 40% of S’pore’s medical staff are M’sian university graduates

Malaysian doctor says 40% of Singapore’s medical staff are Malaysian university graduates

A Malaysian doctor working in Singapore has stirred conversation online after claiming that nearly half of Singapore’s medical workforce are graduates from Malaysian universities, describing them as “cheap but high-quality assets”.

The doctor, who goes by the pseudonym Dr Akam, said that Singaporean hospitals rely heavily on Malaysian-trained doctors due to the country’s strong medical education system.

“At the hospital I’m working at, 40% of the medical staff are graduates from top universities in Malaysia,” he told Free Malaysia Today (FMT) on Monday (19 May).

Malaysian medical staff ‘lured’ across Causeway by better work conditions

Having worked in Singapore for a year now, Dr Akam said he understands why many Malaysian doctors are choosing to leave home.

Source: cegoh on Pixabay, image is for illustration purposes only

He noted that Singapore offers attractive salaries, more manageable workloads, and better welfare — a stark contrast to the burnout, mistreatment, and lack of work-life balance that many doctors face in Malaysia.

“Here, a medical officer sees 20 patients a day. Back in Malaysia, it can go up to 40,” he shared.

Singapore is also actively building new hospitals, which Dr Akam believes will draw even more Malaysians over in the coming years.

Surge in Malaysians doing housemanship in Singapore

His observation aligns with figures published by The Star, which showed a steady increase in the number of Malaysian medical graduates heading to Singapore for their postgraduate training (housemanship): 2 in 2020, 15 in 2021, 25 in 2022, and 30 in 2023.

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Prof Datin Dr Marina Mat Baki, Dean of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Faculty of Medicine, called it a “brain drain” and warned that Malaysia is losing heavily subsidised talent.

Attracted by decent salary & work-life balance

Dr Akam also listed several perks that junior doctors in Singapore enjoy in addition to their base salaries and on-call pay for weekdays, weekends, and public holidays.

These include:

• Monthly housing & medical officer allowances
• Annual welfare & performance bonuses
• Corporate variable bonuses

They are also entitled to a wide range of leave benefits:

• Annual leave
• Sick leave
• Unpaid leave
• Marriage leave
• Family emergency leave
• Training/course leave
• Even birthday leave

Source: pondsaksit photos on Canva, for illustration purposes only

He also noted that it is “much easier” to apply for leave in Singapore, pointing out that Malaysia’s healthcare system often suffers from chronic understaffing.

‘Many Malaysian students are already eyeing jobs here’

Dr Akam said the appeal of working in Singapore is no longer a secret.

He revealed that many Malaysian medical students are actively watching out for opportunities to cross over.

“Honestly, many medical students from two popular local universities are eyeing opportunities and are interested in joining us here,” he said. 

Also read: Opinion: Having a life outside of work in S’pore is impossible unless we change how we see our career