In recent years, the shortage of nurses in Malaysia has become increasingly severe, and according to official data, the nurse shortage rate has reached an astonishing level40%. This situation has attracted widespread social attention, and people have begun to delve into the fundamental reasons that lead to this problem.

Recently,The Malaysian Ministry of Health reported to Parliament that sinceSince 2020, the number of vacancies for nurses has been increasing year by year. From the initial 2106 vacancies, to 2224 in 2021, and then to 4420 in 2022, untiltwo thousand and twenty-threeYear's6896, the growth rate of this number is astonishing. The shortage of nurses not only affects the normal operation of medical services, but also brings heavy work pressure to in-service nurses.

The salary level of Malaysian nurses is relatively low. According to reports, the base salary for Malaysian nurses is only about1800 ringgit, equivalent to approximately 511 Singapore dollars, is not only much lower than Brunei's 3056 Singapore dollars and Singapore's 2500 Singapore dollars, but also lower than Cambodia and Vietnam. Due to low salaries and prolonged work pressure, more and more Malaysian nurses are choosing to leave their home country and work in countries with higher salaries and better working environments.

Singapore has become the main destination for Malaysian nurse outflows. Many Malaysian nurses have stated that Singapore not only offers higher salaries, but also offers more reasonable working hours. In Singapore, nurses usually work five days a week, eight hours a day. In contrast, nurses in Malaysia often need to work six days a week or even longer. The difference in work intensity has led to an increasing number of Malaysian nurses choosing to seek better career development in Singapore.

Azzan, President of the Malaysian Medical Association, pointed out that low salaries and excessive work pressure are the two main reasons for the increasingly serious shortage of nurses. He also warned that the shortage of nurses will further exacerbate the problem of working nurses working overtime, forming a vicious cycle.

In order to address this issue, the Malaysian government and various sectors of society are actively seeking countermeasures. On the one hand, the government is considering increasing the salary and benefits of nurses to attract more talents to join this industry; On the other hand, various sectors of society are also calling for improving the working environment for nurses and reducing their work pressure.

Despite facing many challenges, the Malaysian government and people are confident in addressing the shortage of nurses.