ADUN SPEAKS | I fully welcome the good news from Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad and Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari about a finalised site for a public hospital for Petaling Jaya.
With public hopes high, the Health Ministry and Selangor state government must act decisively so that this commitment is honoured and executed.
1. Rezone the land and specify it as a ‘Tapak Hospital’ under ‘Zon Institusi dan Kemudahan Awam (Institutional and Public Facilities Zone)’
Older PJ residents will recall Kontena Nasional Berhad’s land being discussed as a potential site.
According to PJ MP Lee Chean Chung, the Kontena land and PKNS Kelana Jaya were identified as potential sites in May 2025 but were dropped a year later.
As Klang Valley land costs continue climbing, early preparation of financing mechanisms and rezoning processes helps mitigate the final acquisition price being too expensive for the Health Ministry and triggering the need to identify another site.
To avoid a “rinse and repeat”, land administration matters must be quickly negotiated and executed so that the project is fully locked in.
2. Institutionalise fiscal commitment through Budget 2027 and the 13th Malaysia Plan
While the health minister stated that financing is possible outside the 13th Malaysia Plan’s (13MP) framework, institutionalised fiscal commitment helps specify and measure deliverables.
There are 3 upcoming critical moments:
First, the Health Ministry must secure land acquisition allocation and preparation under Budget 2027, such as plan approvals, infrastructure capacity assessment, and establishing project management leadership with meaningful healthcare worker representation.
Next, the work funded by Budget 2027 must see the project included in 13MP’s nearest rolling plan cycle (likely rolling plan 3 in 2028).
The third key moment to ensure project progress is the Malaysia Plan Mid-term Review (expected in Q3 2028).
These touchpoints are critical because inclusion in the Malaysia Plan doesn’t guarantee project fulfilment.
For example, the National Rugby Stadium was listed in 12MP. In 2023, land acquisition failed, and the funds were returned to the Finance Ministry. The stadium was not listed in 13MP.
Although it may get a second life in 13MP’s rolling plan 2 cycle, the national rugby stadium is a cautionary tale.
3. Implement interim public healthcare capacity solutions
Establishing a hospital may take upwards of three to five years. Meanwhile, PJ residents still need urgent and affordable healthcare.
During the November 2024 Selangor state assembly sitting, I proposed that the state government add the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) to the list of healthcare institutions offering the state’s RM10,000 hospitalisation benefit for acute and chronic diseases, to which Public Health exco Jamaliah Jamaluddin said that talks were ongoing.
Considering UMMC’s price hike in January 2025 and the impact of global uncertainty on medicine and healthcare equipment prices, these discussions should be accelerated to provide relief to PJ residents.
No space for austerity in public healthcare
Malaysia’s healthcare system is bleeding manpower. The solutions are there - they’ve been raised and debated through years of stakeholder town halls, think tank recommendations, and collective action by NGOs, parties like PSM, and movements like Hartal Doktor Kontrak.
Patriotism won’t pay the bills or match the extent of healthcare workers’ daily physical, mental and emotional labour. At some point, excessive reliance on sacrifice risks normalising exploitation.
As a PJ elected representative, I’m fully committed to helping where I can to ensure this project becomes a reality.
Yes, policy change and execution meet cost-related speed bumps, but healthcare must remain a public good: undisturbed by austerity and protected from profiteering.
If we don’t shed the austerity mindset or show willpower to address understaffing, fair pay, overwork, or congestion, a new public hospital for PJ may still struggle to meet residents’ healthcare needs. - Mkini
LIM YI WEI is Kampung Tunku assemblyperson.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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