Baru: Reason given for 30-month rental arrears disappointing
KUCHING: Parti Keadi lan Rakyat ( PKR) Sarawak chairman Baru Bian finds it hard to accept the reason given by the Lawas Health officer in explaining the chaining-up of the Lawas Health office by the shoplot’s landlord.
Describing the incident as both ‘ shocking and disappointing’, the Ba Kelalan assemblyman says the explanation that the 30 - month arrears in rental was due to ‘ agreement and documentation error’ is not a valid reason.
“It appears that the situation with the Lawas Hospital had not been fully disclosed. A 30-month arrears is really too long and I am surprised that the landlord had been patient for so long.
“The ‘ a g r e eme nt a n d documentation error’ cited by the Lawas District Health officer cannot be accepted as a valid reason, as one cannot expect that such a problem would remain unsolved for almost three years,” he said in a press statement yesterday.
Baru, who is also Selangau MP, said he was g lad that Sarawak Health director Dr Jamilah Hashim had responded with some clarification on the outstanding payments.
“We have heard how public hospitals did not have enough money to buy adequate supply of medicines, so we should not be surprised that there isn’t enough money to pay rent.”
He added he was informed in the State Legislative Assembly ( DUN) in 2013 that the rental for the four shoplots used to house the temporary hospital is RM23,000 per month.
“It would be good for the Health off icer to assure the public that the rental payment for the shoplots is up- to- date.”
He also pointed out that the construction of the new Lawas Hospital has been plagued by problems and delays since the approval of its RM121 million budget in 2011.
The project was expected to have been completed within three years.
Baru said the people of Lawas have had to put up with inadequate health facilities for so long, with alternative hospitals located far away in Miri and Kota Kinabalu, while adding it was completely irresponsible for the previous federal administration to have allowed the situation to drag on for such an extended period.
“One cannot help but conclude that the previous government’s mismanagement of resources has caused this problem in Lawas.
“Once I have a clearer picture of the problems occurring in the temporary Lawas hospital and the construction of the new hospital, I will endeavour to bring it up with the Health Minister,” he said.