MALAYSIA: When you’ve got a splitting headache, a blocked nose, and you’re practically melting into your bed from a common cold, the last thing you want is to crawl out of bed and queue at the clinic for two hours just to get that mandatory Medical Certificate (MC).
That’s exactly what one frustrated Malaysian man highlighted in a viral post on r/Malaysians subreddit: “MC requirement for sick leave is stupid! If we are sick, we just need to stay home and sleep. But then our boss asks for a Medical Certificate. Now we need to wake up from our bed with our headache and runny nose, get to the clinic, and wait in line, which sometimes takes a couple of hours just to get that freaking piece of paper, instead of getting rest at home. It only takes 5 minutes to buy the medication at a nearby pharmacy.”
The man then, obviously, tired with the red tape, made a strong appeal to the authorities: “Government, please make 1–2 days of sick leave not require a Medical Certificate! I’m tired of this nonsense!” He also made his case that, “We are entitled to 14 days of sick leave per year, so for a common cold that normally takes about 1–2 days of rest to recover, there is no need for MC.”
In response, commenters say that in places such as Australia, New Zealand, and Germany, a doctor’s note is still required, but only if you’re going out for more than 2–3 days.
“When I worked in AUS, my company only required MC for sick leave of 2 days or more,” one commenter shared. “Many people took a day off once in a while, but nobody abused the flexibility. We had work-life balance, so there wasn’t a need to chuck sickies left and right.”
Another commenter added, “That’s how sick leave works in NZ. You don’t need to provide an MC for less than 3 days. I would just message my employer that morning to let them know I’m not coming in, then apply for sick leave in our HR system.”
A German commenter also echoed the same: “Yes, similar thing here in Germany. An MC is only required if it’s more than 3 days. Been like this forever.”
But not everyone agrees that a trust-based system would work in Malaysia: “If it’s too easy to take sick leave, MCs will be abused. Imagine if we were all allowed to just wake up any time we like and take sick leave without proof… 14 days a year!
If you are too ill to go to the clinic at the moment, then go later on the same day [after waking up from sleep] and ask for the 1–2 days MC. But you have to be really ill for that,” said one commenter, adding that MC abuse could be rampant without checks.
One SME owner shared a more progressive view. He doesn’t require MCs; instead, he evaluates employees based on performance: “As an employer, I personally believe that sick leaves should not require MC. I measure my staff by their performance, not by attendance or the number of sick days they take. I’d rather set a limit on the maximum number of sick leaves that don’t require MC; if you exceed that, then you’ll have to provide an MC.
If a staff member takes too many sick days and their performance shows signs of deterioration, it’s a signal for me to talk to them. If they don’t show any improvement, then they’re given a warning and all the typical HR procedures, up to and including the 3rd warning, a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan), and dismissal if required.”
The post sparked widespread debate about trust, company culture, and the extent of bureaucracy sick employees should have to navigate. Nevertheless, many believe that, just as with the common cold, the sick leave system also needs a dose of common sense.
