A tragic aviation incident in Sarawak has claimed five lives, sparking widespread grief and renewed debate over the safety protocols and compensation provided to healthcare workers serving remote communities.
According to Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohamad Zainal Abdullah, eyewitnesses reported seeing plumes of smoke and flames coming from the BO-105 helicopter before it crashed near the Long Lellang Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) airfield in Miri on Tuesday (8 September).
The flight had departed Miri Airport at 10:21 AM on a Flying Doctor Service (FDS) mission, stopping at Balai and Long Siud before crashing near the edge of the Long Lellang runway at around 3:40 PM.
All five individuals onboard tragically died in the wreckage after the aircraft caught fire. The victims have been identified as pilot Captain Zainol Afiq Bee Sham (30), Dr Ainul Baraah Kamaruddin (33), Debra Moset (40), Jessie Paya Jok (44), and Alexson Adit Henry (31).
Outdated RM30 allowance since 1978
Following the tragedy, a post by doctor Dr Justine Sim on Facebook went viral, shedding light on the realities faced by healthcare workers undertaking high-risk aerial missions.
Dr Sim highlighted that medical staff serving in the Air Health Service receive an incentive payment of just RM30 per round trip, a rate established in 1978 under JPA guidelines and reportedly unchanged since.
He questioned whether the existing system adequately reflects the risks faced by healthcare workers, while also raising concerns over indemnity forms medical officers are required to sign before boarding.
“RM30. Sign a form. Then enter the helicopter & fly. That is the Air Health Service Incentive Payment for one round trip,” Dr Sim wrote.
While the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will determine the technical cause of the crash, Dr Sim urged the government to review the wider framework, including risk allowances, insurance coverage and safety protocols.
MOH says RM30 allowance issue was raised last year
According to Kosmo! The Ministry of Health (MOH) has since confirmed that the issue surrounding the RM30 allowance for FDS healthcare workers had already been brought to the government’s attention last year.
Yesterday, Health Minister Datuk Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said MOH submitted its proposal regarding the allowance in late November 2025 and would continue advocating for the welfare of healthcare workers.
“We know we need to provide what is appropriate. So, we submitted this issue regarding the allowance early on and have raised the matter,” he said.
MOH is also hopeful that a decision on the matter can be reached this year, adding that the ministry will continue raising issues concerning healthcare workers’ welfare based on current studies and needs.
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