A social media post showing a Malaysian medical graduate celebrating their new job in Singapore has unexpectedly ignited a fiery debate, not in Malaysia, but among Singapore netizens.
The post showed a hospital ID badge indicating a medical officer role at a public hospital, accompanied by a caption expressing gratitude for working in Singapore for two months.
But while the new doctor was celebrating, some Singaporean commenters weren’t cheering along.
Instead, the post opened up a wave of frustration about local graduates struggling to find jobs in healthcare, while foreign graduates appear to be actively recruited.
‘Locals are struggling, yet foreigners get hired’
One Singapore-based user reposted the image and questioned how a Malaysian graduate seemed to land a job so quickly.
So many local grads can’t find jobs. How easy is it for someone from KL to land a job here?
“Everything locals don’t want or can’t do, foreigners are brought in to do.”
The repost quickly drew others sharing similar concerns, especially about healthcare hiring.
Claims of overseas recruitment
Several commenters alleged that Singapore’s healthcare institutions have been conducting recruitment drives at Malaysian universities.
‘For the past few years, hospitals have gone to Malaysian universities to do direct hiring,” one commenter claimed.
‘Fresh graduates were hired with salaries above SGD 4,500, plus housing allowances,’ another wrote.
Another commenter shared a personal experience: ‘My tenant is a fresh radiology graduate from Malaysia. She said most of her batch got hired.’
Other commenters then shared their own struggles.
‘I have 11 years of experience and a specialist diploma. Yet I was told I’m ‘too expensive’ to hire,’ one wrote.
Another parent commented: ‘My daughter with a good GPA couldn’t enter a radiology degree. And local graduates are still unemployed or offered short contracts.’
Meanwhile, healthcare workload concerns surfaced too as shown in this comment: ‘During night shifts, my daughter handles 12 patients alone. There’s barely time to sit and eat.’
Some comments also turned political, with one reading: ‘Singaporeans voted for this. They’re happy.’
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