Don't let children's hospital be used to build up personal reputation: MP

PARLIAMENT The government should not let Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's (UKM) Children’s Specialist Hospital project be used to build up personal reputaton, said an opposition MP.

Ong Kian Ming (DAP-Serdang) pointed out that the prime minister's wife, Rosmah Mansor, had appeared at an official event related to the project.

He noted that the children's hospital has now been named after Permata, whose patron is Rosmah herself.

"(The Higher Education Ministry needs to) ensure the priority of the children's hospital and not (let it) be influenced and twisted by other parties, who want to use the hospital to build up their personal reputation in the country and abroad," he said.

"I do not question the importance of the Children's Specialist Hospital, which is the first of its kind in Malaysia.

"But I want to ask the priority of the children's hospital in UKM, as a few incidents had happened," he said during a question-and-answer session.

"According to the Permata Negara's website, the main driver of the hospital was none other than Rosmah and the hospital will be named Permata Children’s Specialist Hospital," he said

He noted that Rosmah had witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between UKM medical faculty, which is also the management office of the hospital and children's hospital, and the Los Angeles Children's Hospital.

In reply, Deputy Higher Education Minister Mary Yap warned Ong to stop politicising the issue.

"I feel that we should just focus on the need to have this hospital because the children are the future generaion of the country," she said.

"I advise you to stop politicising the issue because the ministry has taken every factor into consideration," she said.

She pointed out that the construction of the children's hospital was ahead of schedule.

It was reported by The Star that the RM606 million hospital will be built on the grounds of Hospital UKM l in Cheras and is expected to be ready in 2017.

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali (BN-Bagan Serai) defended Rosmah, saying she was the one who inspired the construction of the children's hospital.

"It is expected to be a hospital of world standard,” he said.

"This hospital was inspired by Rosmah after she saw some children's hospitals abroad that she had visited," she said. -Mkini