The year 2019 ended on a note of uncertainty for workers in the health sector, who had been told that the government was considering stopping the critical service incentive allowance to certain professions in the civil service. For the health sector, this will include medical officers, pharmacists, dentists and nurses who are joining the service from 1 January 2020. This news ended a year that had been filled with ups and downs for medical professionals. We discuss the implications of recent policy announcements affecting healthcare workers in Malaysia.