The health minister says the system was still in the pilot project stage, and a final decision on its implementation had not been made.
Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said it was a ‘mistake’ that the letter outlining the WBB system’s guidelines was leaked, as it contributed to further problems. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA:
Health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad has clarified that the decision to cancel the Waktu Bekerja Berlainan (WBB) system was not a “flip-flop” move.
Dzulkefly said the WBB system was still in its pilot phase when the Cabinet decided to cancel it.
“To those who have asked why (cancelling) the WBB is not considered a ‘flip-flop’, it is because I had yet to make a final decision on its implementation.
“It was still at the pilot project stage, and during that period (when the details were leaked), it led to criticisms about why others were not included,” he was quoted as saying during his winding-up speech as Amanah vice-president at the party’s national convention today.
Dzulkefly said it was a “mistake” that the letter detailing the system’s guidelines was leaked, as it contributed to further problems.
“When the leak happened, doctors nationwide questioned why they were not involved. This sparked a problem, as they demanded to be involved,” he said.
“I raised this issue with the Cabinet. After I explained the situation, the Cabinet decided that I should cancel the WBB pilot project. I will continue with the study to get views from all parties.”
On Friday, Dzulkefly said the Cabinet had decided to cancel the WBB system after carefully considering various factors.
The health ministry also established a task force to look into improving the delivery of healthcare services to the public and scheduling working hours.
However, the proposed system drew brickbats from groups such as the Malaysian Medical Association, which said health workers would work fewer hours but stood to lose income as they would not be granted an allowance for working past 5pm on weekdays.
2025-01-27T01:09:00Z
source link: free Malaysia today