HEALTH professionals are in the news this month not for Covid-19 reasons, but for their employment contracts. Between July 1 and July 12, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) encouraged Malaysians to change their social media profiles into monochrome and wear black to work, as part of the Code Black and Black Monday initiative. Separately, on July 1, a group of junior doctors on the contract system (calling themselves Hartal) issued a three-week ultimatum to the government to offer permanent positions to all contract doctors and publish clear selection criteria for permanent posts. Failing which, they “will take drastic action by going on leave beginning July 26 until our demands are fulfilled” (which is essentially a strike).