KUALA LUMPUR: Hindu doctors stationed in Sarawak have once again raised alarm over not being able to take unrecorded leave for the upcoming Thaipusam celebration.
Thaipusam is not a public holiday in Sarawak, hence doctors will not be eligible for unrecorded leave despite hailing from the Peninsula.
"It is a shame that every other state can offer Thaipusam leave but Sarawak cannot even offer us unrecorded leave to celebrate.
"We can see leaders and politicians commenting on the issue of 200 doctors not accepting the post to come to Sarawak and openly telling doctors to accept the post yet they stay silent on this issue.
"How do you expect indians to come here and serve people when you treat us like this? Thaipusam is just once a year and yet we cannot even get a single day unrecorded leave?" said the doctor who spoke on the condition of anonymity to the New Straits Times.
He said it is no surprise that younger doctors keep on rejecting postings to Sarawak as they would not get any leave even for holy celebrations.
The NST has learnt that the doctors could get some time off in the morning of Thaipusam subject to the approval of the hospital directors.
In July, Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni revealed that more than 200 doctors out of 800 offered contract positions to serve in Sarawak had either turned down the offer or failed to report to work.
Last year, the NST reported that a Hindu doctor stationed on the periphery of Sarawak expressed concern over the differential treatment they are subjected to, given that they will be unable to return to the Peninsula in time to celebrate Deepavali with their families.
The doctor also raised concern that more doctors might reject offers in Sarawak and this would contribute towards the issue of understaffing.
However, after the relevation, the Sarawak state government and the director-general of the Public Services Department (PSD) then agreed to provide unrecorded leave on Monday (Nov 13) to all Hindu civil servants who will be celebrating Deepavali.