KUCHING, July 3 — The federal Cabinet has not made any decision to relax a minimum pass in Bahasa Malaysia in recruiting medical officers, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
He told reporters here that he will raise the issue with both Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Joseph Entulu in charge of the Public Services Department at the next federal Cabinet meeting this Wednesday.
“It is possible that the decision is made by the Public Services Department at the request of the Health Ministry,” Ahmad Zahid said here after after making a Gawai Dayak visit to Deputy Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also home minister, said that no decision had been made for a BM waiver concerning permanent medical officers, but added that he was unsure if the requirement had been relaxed for contract staff.
He said it is better that the matter be brought up for discussion by the Cabinet.
He said it has become a standard operating procedure that a credit in BM at SPM level is compulsory for officers who want to work with the government on a permanent basis.
"But in this case, the medical officers are recruited on contract," Ahmad Zahid said, explaining the reason he wants to seek an explanation from the two ministers.
He said the contract issue has attracted a lot of attention and has become controversial, which could be exploited by anti-establishment parties.
Yesterday, Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced a relaxation in SPM BM for the appointment of a Grade UD41 medical officer on contract basis, saying it was to facilitate those who had not sat for the examination for various reasons.
Dr Noor Hisham said this included medical graduates who had studied abroad, those who sat for O-level examination at an international school, or took the BM subject at university.
“This flexibility is not a new thing. Even foreign medical officers or physicians appointed do not require a pass in BM at the SPM-level,” he had said in a statement.
