THE government should provide Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions to contract doctors made permanent, if Putrajaya decides to do away with pensions, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said.

MMA president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said the association proposed permanent positions with EPF instead of a civil service pension to the Health Ministry in 2019.

“Our preferred choice is permanent post for all as per the current method (with pension).

“(However) we understand that the pension scheme is a heavy burden but we must insist upon some kind of fund for retirement,” Muruga Raj said in a statement today.

Earlier today, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the ministry is discussing with the Public Service Department how to absorb contract medical personnel to the permanent staff without pensions.

Zaliha said the pension scheme, which in 2011 was worth RM3.1 billion, had increased to RM29.1 billion in 2021.

Muruga Raj said MPs and assemblymen should lead by example and convert their pension schemes to a singular EPF contribution if pensions are too much of a burden.

“It has been reported that an assemblyman or MP can earn pensions from multiple streams by serving in several state or federal posts,” he said, referring to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Armizan Mohd Ali reply in parliament confirming lawmakers are entitled to multiple pensions.

In September 2021, Syed Saddiq complained about the lure of receiving multiple pensions totalling more than RM100,000 a month and more than RM1 million in gratuity is why some senior lawmakers are unwilling to retire.

An MP is given a basic monthly salary of RM16,000, while the monthly pay of an assemblyman is between RM11,000 and RM15,000, depending on the state. – March 30, 2023.