KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — Former Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa today denied making a U-turn on the proposal to establish a Health Service Commission, saying she had remained committed to the initiative since 2023.

She said a report by a health portal yesterday, which claimed she had reversed her stance, was inaccurate and did not reflect the full context, stressing that efforts on the matter had continued throughout her tenure at the Ministry of Health (MOH).

In a statement, Dr Zaliha said that as early as February 2023, she had publicly stated that the proposal to establish the commission was among the key matters being considered in the final draft of the Health White Paper.

“In fact, in April 2023, the same news portal reported on my meeting with representatives of Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK), where the proposal to establish a Health Service Commission and a Health Reform Commission was discussed within the framework of the White Paper,” she said.

On her parliamentary reply on June 15, 2023, which she said had often been misinterpreted, Dr Zaliha explained that it was a clarification on the scope of authority of a Service Commission under Article 144 of the Federal Constitution.

She said the functions of a Service Commission cover appointments, confirmation of service, promotions, transfers and disciplinary action, but establishing such a commission does not give it the power to create new posts or formulate remuneration systems, including setting more competitive emolument rates.

“I also explained that establishing a new Service Commission would involve a complex process, including the need to amend the Federal Constitution and secure a two-thirds majority in both the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara.

“That explanation was about the structure, jurisdiction and limitations of the model available at the time, and was not an outright rejection of the proposal to establish a Health Service Commission,” she said.

Dr Zaliha cited records after the July 2023 parliamentary session showing that she had publicly confirmed the Government’s intention to establish the commission and was assessing the best model for it.

She said the commitment was followed by the establishment of a Technical Working Group by the MOH in October 2023 to identify the best methods and mechanisms for setting up the Health Service Commission.

Dr Zaliha reiterated that her position on the welfare of healthcare workers had remained unchanged, stressing that any reform of the healthcare service system, including the establishment of the commission, must be implemented urgently and backed by an authority capable of resolving the crises faced by healthcare personnel.

According to media reports yesterday, Dr Zaliha called for the Government to expedite the establishment of the commission following the helicopter crash in Long Lellang, Sarawak, but the news portal in question described the call as a “U-turn”. — Bernama