Malaysia’s version of Doctors without Borders

There is a world famous medical corps called Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) that provides emergency medical aid worldwide.


MSF is a caring humane organisation that operates under severe conditions, of personal sacrifice and hardship.

Unfortunately French is not a language that is learned by most Malaysians. Perhaps all those doctors who are staying on in nice cushy jobs after having benefited from the generosity of Malaysian taxpayers who sent them on expensive scholarships may have misunderstood the mission statement of MSF.

“Doctors without borders” does not mean you go where you can make the most money. After all no one forced you to sign an agreement to return to serve in the nation’s health system. It is well documented that our public hospitals are facing a critical shortage of doctors.

It is also incredulous that the MARA education chairman had the temerity to claim that MARA is “very strict” in one breath and then stating that they “could be lenient” in the next and allow these doctors to continue postgraduate work even if they had not completed the compulsory service.

He then suggests that the government should take steps to address the brain drain to other countries.
It seems the first step the authorities should take is to get an Education Chairman who is able to take measures to fulfill all the terms of the scholarship agreements.

To MSF volunteers everywhere, I salute you and ask you to forgive my associating you to the recalcitrant Malaysian doctors. Malaysia also has a great humanitarian team Mercy Malaysia.