DAP again asks S’wak govt to explain investment in hospital

KUCHING: The Sarawak government owes Sarawakians an explanation on why it is investing state money in a children’s Specialist Hospital in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

In making the demand yesterday, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Chong Chieng Jen claimed that the Sarawak government is in partnership with Zecon Bhd to construct the hospital in Kuala Lumpur.

The Stampin MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, quoting a report from the Ministry of Finance (MoF), said the Sarawak government is holding about 49 per cent share in Zecon Medicare Sdn Bhd, a company that is undertaking the project.

The Children’s Specialist Hospital in Cheras is said to be valued at RM606 million.

“There is no business of the Sarawak state government to be involved in a children’s Specialist Hospital.

“The state government is complaining about the poor healthcare services in the state, all the more no reason for them to come up with an investment of RM606 million to build a hospital in Kuala Lumpur,” he said after chairing the Democratic Action Party (DAP) state committee meeting at the party’s headquarters here.

Chong, who is state Pakatan Harapan (PH) and DAP Sarawak chairman, said Zecon Bhd is holding 4.08 million shares while the Sarawak government has 3.92 million shares in Zecon Medicare Sdn Bhd.

He added that the representatives of Sarawak government in the multi-million project are from the Sarawak Financial Secretary’s Office.

“The directors representing the Sarawak government are Jafri Lias from the purchasing division and Ahmad Faizal Yaman Ahmad Shafiee from the corporate service and investment division of the state Financial Secretary’s Office,” he said.

Chong said this project “is one of the biggest irony since the Sarawak government has been complaining about all the resources going to Kuala Lumpur and yet the state government is directly involved in the development of a hospital in Cheras”.