BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Evening Edition  >  Top 5 At 5  >  Top 5 at 5: MOH Delays Leave Young Doctors in Limbo

Top 5 at 5: MOH Delays Leave Young Doctors in Limbo

Dr Timothy Cheng, Chairman, Malaysian Medical Association’s Section Concerning House Officers, Medical Officers and Specialists (MMA SCHOMOS)

21-Mar-25 17:00

Top 5 at 5: MOH Delays Leave Young Doctors in Limbo

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has indefinitely postponed the ePlacement process for over 2,000 medical officers, delaying their May reporting dates. The decision follows a system crash on February 27th, which was overwhelmed by 19 million hits. The ministry is now working on 'ePlacement 2.0' with enhanced security to prevent future disruptions. We speak with Dr. Timothy Cheng, Chairman of MMA SCHOMOS, about the impact of this on young doctors and MOH’s handling of placements.

Other stories we covered:

Hindu temple still standing: DBKL has temporarily halted the demolition of the Dewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Temple in Masjid India, which has been at the center of a decade-long land dispute. The temple committee, which was only informed of the sale two years later, is proposing a solution to coexist with the new development instead of relocating. We spoke to lawyer N. Surendran and Lawyers for Liberty director Zaid Malek about the legal battle, the temple’s historical significance, and possible resolutions.
• Malaysian schools going vertical: The Education Ministry is moving forward with a pilot project for multi-storey schools in KL, Penang, and Putrajaya to address overcrowding and optimize land use. While this could reduce costs, concerns remain over student safety and learning environments. We spoke to Alice Sabrina Ismail, associate professor of built environment and surveying at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, about the benefits and challenges of vertical schools.
• Astronauts return to Earth after nine months: NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore have returned to Earth after an unplanned nine-month stay on the International Space Station due to technical failures with their spacecraft. Their extended mission raised concerns over long-term space travel’s effects on the human body. We spoke to Chong Hon Yew from the Penang Astronomical Society about the physical impact of prolonged space missions.
• Malaysia ranked eighth happiest Asian country: The latest World Happiness Report places Malaysia as the eighth happiest country in Asia, with Finland taking the global top spot for the eighth consecutive year. While Malaysia ranks high in freedom, social support and corruption perception remain weak points. We discuss what contributes to national happiness and how Malaysia compares globally.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Tee Shiao Eek, Sneha Harikannan, Sudais Ferhard, Alia Zefri

Presented by: Lee Chwi Lynn, Dashran Yohan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  technologyeconomymanagingpoliticsinternationalgovernmentenvironmentcorruptionLaw/ActivismcontroversieseducationcultureHistory/Heritagemedical advanceswellness

Tags:  ePlacementePlacement 2.0malaysian doctorshindu templeDewi Sri Pathrakaliamman Templemulti-storey schoolschool overcrowdingvertical schoolSunita WilliamsButch Wilmoreinternational space stationmalaysians happycorruption perceptionmohmedical officersmedical graduatesmalaysian healthcare systemmalaysian hospitalsdbklmasjid indialand disputejakeleducation ministrylearning environmentnasaastronautsissspace travelworld happiness reportfinlandfreedomsocial supportsociety





Play / Pause

Listen now : Marketing Mojo: Malaysia’s festive calendar is crowded, but not all holiday campaigns...

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Joe Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist, US Trust-BOA Private Wealth Management tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Dr. Jayant Menon, Visiting Senior Fellow at the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, discusses the realities of middle powers' geoeconomic choices.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Syafiq Ridzwan, Chief of Information of the Malaysian Youth Council discusses measures to attract youth to join the civil service.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Prof. Emerita Dr. Durisha Idris, Vice-Chancellor of IJN University College, discusses the institute’s unique programs and its future plans to achieve full university status.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Bradley Freeman, Professor of Creative Arts & Media, School of Arts, Sunway University discusses the changes coming to TikTok after they announced changes to their ownsership structure.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

(REPEAT) We dive into the local and international news that matters to you.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Joe Quinlan, Chief Market Strategist, US Trust-BOA Private Wealth Management tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT)Stefan Angrick, Head of Japan Economics at Moody’s Analytics, on Japan's economy outlook 2026.

9:35 AM

People, Planet, Profit

We cover the latest news and views in the ESG space to help businesses thrive with impact.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Amy Gan, Vice President of Marketing, Etika; and Pearl Liang, from SJK(C) Serdang Baru 1, Selangor (Grand prize winner of Goodday KidStart 3.0 for her innovative idea, “AI Unicorn”.)

11:00 AM

Marketing Mojo

Malaysia’s festive calendar is crowded, but not all holiday campaigns cut through. PHD Malaysia’s David Soo shares how brands can sharpen their messaging, timing, visuals, and spend to drive real impact across multicultural festive moments.

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

Nick Eayrs, VP of Field Engineering, APJ at Databricks

1:00 PM

The Breakfast Grille Repeat

Prof. Emerita Dr. Durisha Idris, Vice-Chancellor of IJN University College, discusses the institute’s unique programs and its future plans to achieve full university status.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Beyond the Ballot Box

We speak to Danesh Prakash Chacko, the chairperson of Tindak about their ‘petugas’ program and why you should get involved.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

Olympian and former national artistic gymnast Farah Ann talks about the ups and downs of her career, and how she coped with the immense pressure on her mental health.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of the day, to catch you up on all you need to know!

6:00 PM

Talkback Tuesday