PETALING JAYA - Universiti Malaya (UM) loses at least 30 of its best and brightest graduates to Singapore each year, said Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, the former dean of medicine at the top Malaysian university.

The renowned infectious disease professor said the brain drain will continue if nothing is done to address the issues facing Malaysia’s doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.

She said the lack of posts and clear training pathways, especially for fresh graduates and medical officers (MOs), has caused many to look abroad for employment or better opportunities.

“Each year UM loses at least 30 of our best and brightest to Singapore,” she said in a tweet on Thursday, adding that the training of each student costs almost RM1 million (S$304,879).

“And now we are also apparently going to help plug the NHS (National Health Service) shortage by also sending our MOs to the United Kingdom,” she added.

“I don’t blame my young colleagues at all. I would go where the opportunities are too. We are failing them.

“How can we expect to build a resilient and world-class health system when we have this continual internal and external brain drain?” she asked.

Many junior doctors in Malaysia who are hired on contract have spoken up against the lack of clear pathways for further studies that will enable them to become specialists. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK