The Ministry of Health will soon introduce new guidelines on Flexible Working Hours for House Officers (HO) and medical officers, aimed at addressing concerns over excessive working hours that can reach up to 85 hours per week.
Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the initiative is an immediate step to address complaints raised by junior doctors, while also safeguarding their welfare and ensuring they are not treated as additional manpower in hospitals.
He stressed that the revised guidelines will strengthen compliance with the existing Flexible Working Hours circular, which has been in place since 2011.
“I take note of the issues raised. As previously stated by the Ministry of Health, PPS (medical officers) are not ‘extra pairs of hands’,” he said.
Dzulkefly added that the updated framework will be issued within days to reinforce proper implementation of the original working hour policy.
The matter comes amid reports highlighting that junior doctors in Malaysia are working between 65 and 85 hours weekly, significantly higher than counterparts in countries such as the United Kingdom and Ireland.
He cited examples where junior doctors in the UK work around 40 hours per week, with shift limits of 13 hours, alongside rest days and overtime compensation.
Dzulkefly said the ministry is also reviewing governance at operational level to ensure the new guidelines can effectively address overwork issues among junior doctors.
He made the remarks after officiating the Clinical Research Malaysia (CRM) Trial Connect Conference 2026, where he also highlighted Malaysia’s growing role as a regional hub for clinical research and its commitment to maintaining international standards.
