Amanah secretary-general Faiz Fadzil has criticised purported attempts to politicise the proposed construction of a public hospital in Petaling Jaya, saying healthcare issues should not be used as political fodder.
His remarks followed Selangor MCA chairperson Lawrence Low’s reported questioning of Pakatan Harapan’s alleged failure to resolve the issue after 18 years of governing the state.
Faiz, in a statement, said Petaling Jaya has long required its own public hospital to cater to a growing population and ease pressure on existing facilities in nearby areas such as Klang and Shah Alam.
While waiting for the project to be realised, he urged the government to consider interim measures, including a proposal by the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy to lease and operate an existing medium-sized private hospital in Petaling Jaya as a public hospital.
“The proposal deserves consideration, even if on a temporary basis, to improve access to public healthcare services for residents,” he said.
Faiz said the suggestion was consistent with the Health Ministry’s public-private partnership approach through the Hospital Outsourcing Programme, introduced by Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad in 2023.
Under the programme, selected services such as radiology and cardiology are outsourced to private hospitals.
He argued that temporarily taking over a private hospital in Petaling Jaya could help reduce congestion at public hospitals in the Klang Valley while allowing residents to access treatment closer to home.
‘Hospital delayed by politics’
Faiz also rejected claims that the proposed public hospital was a new initiative, saying it had been part of Harapan’s planning in Selangor for years.
He said the Petaling Jaya Local Plan 2, gazetted in 2011, had already identified the need for a public hospital in the city.
However, he noted that constructing a public hospital requires cooperation from the federal government regarding approvals, funding, technical planning, and implementation.
“At the time, the federal government was administered by BN,” he said.
Faiz said efforts to identify a suitable site only gained momentum after Harapan took power at the federal level in 2018, but were later “disrupted” by the collapse of the Harapan government through the Sheraton Move and the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He claimed previous administrations had missed the opportunity to secure land for the project at a lower cost, forcing the current government to be more strategic in selecting a suitable site.
“If land acquisition costs are too high, it could affect allocations for medical equipment, patient facilities, manpower, and operational needs,” he said.
Faiz said site selection should take into account public needs, accessibility, area suitability, and overall cost-effectiveness.
He welcomed efforts by Dzulkefly and Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari to revive the project, including reports that Taman Medan is among the locations being considered.
Progress
On Wednesday, Dzulkefly told Malaysiakini that a 6ha site in Taman Medan, now home to a modern sports complex, could solve the pressing need for a public hospital to serve the high-density population of the Petaling Jaya-Subang-Puchong corridor.
He said a recent technical meeting between the ministry and the Selangor government identified the X Park PJ South complex as a potential site for the new facility.
According to Faiz, residents in areas such as Taman Medan, which has a large Malay and B40 population, would benefit from improved access to public healthcare services.
“The public should reject narrow political games. A public hospital is not about political gains but about lives, health, and public welfare,” he added.
Amirudin recently came under fire after he cited high land costs as a factor hindering the ministry’s plan to build a hospital in the area. - Mkini
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