Sim's next baby - Sarawak cancer centre

Those who know former professor Dr Sim Kui Hian well enough will surely have this to say about him.

He is a man in a hurry, specifically to improve the healthcare services as quickly and as much as possible in his homeland of Sarawak and for the benefit of his fellow Sarawakians.

I am a political critique and rarely do I sing the praises of politicians. The odd times that I do, it has to be for a special breed – for those whom I think are in politics for the right reasons.

Sim is Sarawak’s local government and housing minister and president of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP). As SUPP is a Chinese-based party, and by virtue of his position, Sim is a key representative of the Chinese community in the Sarawak government.

But most times, I do not see the 56-year-old cardiologist as a politician but as a medical doctor, as a man of science first and foremost.

Politicians - they are aplenty. Even I was once upon a time an active politician. It’s so easy to find a Parliament of baboons but medical specialists, honestly and responsibly toiling in a field muddied by the greedy and corrupt, indulging in dirty and vengeful politics – that’s quite a rarity. Surely, Sim must be in the wrong crowd.

But as fate would have it, the good doctor had taken the plunge into politics a decade ago. He recalled it was at the urging of well-meaning friends who saw the need for younger professionals to take the lead in SUPP, also Sarawak’s oldest political party.

After 10 years, Sim must have made his late politician father proud. Sim Kheng Hong was a SUPP stalwart who had served as Sarawak’s deputy chief minister in the 70s and 80s.

Earlier, upon his return to Sarawak after completing his studies in Australia, Sim worked as a medical specialist in the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching.

Soon, he was instrumental in establishing the Department of Cardiology of Sarawak General Hospital in 2001. Sim also credited his colleague, Dr Ong Tiong Kiam, for his effort in setting up the special wing for heart patients in the hospital.

Its inception was long-awaited, as it meant that Sarawakians would not have to continue relying on other hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia for specialised cardiology.

In January 2011, a new hospital in Kota Samarahan, known as the Sarawak General Hospital Heart Centre, was opened. In 2015, the institution was given administrative autonomy and became known as the Sarawak Heart Centre.

Today, this heart centre is Sarawak’s pride and joy, thanks to Sim, Ong and their dedicated colleagues.

I was also a recipient of the excellent services provided by the heart centre in Kota Samarahan. In March this year, I was warded for two weeks to address a nagging heart ailment. I must say it was the best healthcare one can possibly get at a public hospital.

After the successes of the Sarawak Heart Centre, what is Sim up to next? Being the good doctor that he is, Sim’s next baby is the Sarawak Cancer Centre.

I sat down with the minister in Kuching two weeks ago. Sim did not talk much about politics although my intention was to discuss SUPP and Chinese politics in Sarawak.

A typical day for him, as he related, starts at 7am and ends at 1am. I suppose with his many years as a medical doctor and his past decade in politics, Sim could juggle the two roles pretty well.

Talking about politics, particularly on the opposition, Sim was cautious and reserved in his comments. One could sense that the doctor does not play to the gallery, nor is he comfortable with street politics. Not surprisingly, he has nothing negative to say about his political opponents.

“Let’s just work hard for the people. All of us have our different roles to play, whether in government or the opposition. Let there be less politicking, but focus more on the people,” Sim urged.

The doctor’s eyes lighted up when I asked him about the proposed Sarawak Cancer Centre after I learned that Sarawak has just taken delivery of a new Siemens Spect (single-photon emission computed tomography) machine, costing RM11.63 million.

There is a need to provide ample facilities for cancer treatment in the state, Sim stressed, explaining that such facilities would benefit the locals as they would no longer need to travel to the peninsula for treatment.

According to the minister, cancer is the second after heart disease in Sarawak that is a burden. Unfortunately for the people, although Sarawak has the medical expertise, the cancer facilities are lacking.

Sim said that it was important for the state to have its own cancer centre because the cost of cancer treatment is expensive and many cannot afford to go for private treatment.

Hence, the Sarawak Cancer Centre is a necessity. At this time and age, it is unfair for Sarawakians to receive “only fair” or “poor” quality of healthcare for cancer.

The other good news from Sim is that Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg is prepared to offer financing options to the federal government for the proposed RM900 million cancer centre so that Sarawakians could have comprehensive cancer facilities as soon as possible.

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has approved the project in principle and Sim said he would continue to push for it with Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Many Sarawakians, me included, will be wishing the good doctor the best to get his next “baby” set up, soonest as possible.

If only all ministers are like Dr Sim Kui Hian, a dedicated doctor and politician who has no other motive in politics except to get things done and done swiftly for his homeland and fellow citizens, Sarawak would have been heaven on earth. - Mkini

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FRANCIS PAUL SIAH heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) and can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.