PSI affiliates – Malayan Nurses Union (MNU) and the Sabah Medical Services Union (SMSU) – were at the forefront of the campaign against this policy. They pointed out that the real problem is shortage of staff, which should be addressed rather than increasing working hours of the nurses. They argued that increased working hours will lead to even harsher working conditions, impacting not only the well-being of nurses but also the quality of healthcare services provided to the community. 

The Unions had regular and meaningful engagement with the government representatives throughout this period. They met the Prime Minister as well as the Minister of Health regarding their concerns. MNU and SMSU also made use of social media platforms such as Tik Tok and Facebook to campaign for their rights.

Their sustained opposition paid off. After months of campaigning and dialogue, the government has now been forced to reverse the decision.

The move will benefit 82,637 frontline healthcare personnel, including nurses, community nurses, emergency department medical officers, assistant medical officers, and healthcare assistants.

Saaidah Athman, President of the Malayan Nurses Union, welcomed the decision. “We have been campaigning and in talks with the government since last November. This marks a major victory for us. We will continue to fight for ILO-standard working hours, improved staffing ratios, and a comprehensive review of salaries and allowances for healthcare workers,” she said.

Empirical evidence demonstrates that when nurses are forced to work more than 40 hours per week a range of risks increase including adverse patient outcomes and patient mortality (here, here and here), nurse stress and burnout levels, occupational injuries and disease and nurses leaving the profession or migrating to better working conditions.  

For more information about Malaysian Government's decision, read here

For more background on MNU and SMSU's struggle, click here