In response to challenges faced by healthcare workers who are reportedly underpaid and overworked, Malaysia’s Health Ministry has come under fire for organizing a seemingly extravagant Hari Raya event on Tuesday ( Apr 22 ).  ,
At the Majlis Sambutan Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2025, which Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attended, former Indonesian artists like Siti Nurhaliza and Jamal Abdillah performed.
Siti Nurhaliza made clear on Instagram that she had performed for free in response to the backlash, while Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad, the health minister, acknowledged that” criticism received is good” and appreciated the issues raised.  ,
Allow everyone remember this,” he said. He stated in a blog on X that “we’ll continue to work with our health staff” about systemic issues.  ,
One of the performers, according to Dzulkefly, performed “from the offices” without paying any money to the prime minister or the employees in the medical field.  ,
These workers, he claimed, included members of delegations from other organizations, departments, universities, and private sector entities that have been a part of the nation’s medical system.  ,
In response to the struggles of the medical industry, many healthcare workers have criticized the occasion on social media, including Hartal Doktor Kontrak, a group of lease doctors, who called it” tone blind.”
Our OT ( overtime ) allowance is extremely low, claims are frequently rejected, and some equipment cannot be purchased because of funding constraints, but at least the ministry’s top management can enjoy a night out with famous artists, according to Hartal Doktor Kontrak, in a Facebook post on Wednesday that received over 5,400 likes and 2,700 comments.  ,
While the Ministry of Health chooses to host a beautiful Hari Raya musical featuring stars, netizen @ksampoh posted on X on Wednesday,” It is disheartening to watch Malaysia’s frontline health workers grapple with paid on-call claims, serious workload, and hazardous working conditions.”