Kuching: The Sarawak government should not sacrifice the lives and healthcare of its people for the sake of grandiose projects like the recently built “White House”, and other mega projects, said DAP Sarawak Chairman Chong Chieng Jen.
Chong said that despite Sarawak’s annual revenue having grown from around RM3 billion in the 1980s to more than RM12 billion today, the state government has misplaced priorities.
“In the 1980s, with less than RM2 billion in annual revenue, the state could still afford to build private facilities such as the Normah Medical Centre. In the 1990s, when revenue was about RM3 billion, it built the Sarawak Heart Specialist Hospital,” Chong said in a statement.
“Now, with over RM12 billion a year – six times more than back then – the state government is not constructing new hospitals but is instead spending lavishly on projects like the so-called ‘White House’, the largest state flag, a private jet for the Premier, the ART, hydrogen buses, proposed new airports and seaports, and extravagant overseas trips for ministers,” he added.
Chong, who is also Stampin MP and Padungan assemblyman, also aimed at the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) for claiming that healthcare falls under federal jurisdiction, saying the party’s statement was an attempt to “cover up” the GPS government’s misplaced priorities.
“Of course, it would be best if the federal government could fund all healthcare needs in Sarawak.
“But even with a GPS Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusuf and several GPS ministers in the Cabinet, there’s a limit to how much they can secure. As Premier Abang Johari himself often says, the state government must step up where the federal government falls short,” he said.
Chong reiterated DAP Sarawak’s proposal for the state government to establish private hospitals that charge public hospital rates, describing it as a practical solution to ease the current strain on Sarawak’s overstretched public healthcare system.
“It is irresponsible for SUPP to try to sabotage or block the idea of the state government setting up private hospitals and charging public hospital rates for Sarawakians.
“For the SUPP, they would rather let Sarawakians suffer and die due to the lacking of healthcare service than to see an idea proposed by DAP succeeds,” he said.
