Malaysia’s Health Ministry has come under fire for organising a seemingly extravagant Hari Raya event on Tuesday amid challenges faced by healthcare workers who are reportedly underpaid and overworked.
Veteran Malaysian singers like Siti Nurhaliza and Jamal Abdillah performed at the Majlis Sambutan Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2025, which Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attended.
In the wake of the backlash, Siti Nurhaliza clarified on Instagram that she had performed for free, while Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said he appreciated the concerns raised and acknowledged the “criticism received is fair”.
“Let this be a reminder for all. We’ll continue working to address systemic issues for our health workers,” he said in a social media post.
Without naming the singer, Dzulkefly said one of them had performed without any payment to honour the prime minister as well as healthcare workers “from the headquarters”.
These workers, he said, included guests from other agencies, ministries, universities and the private sector that have been part of the country’s healthcare system.