Sarawak Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg must be in a pretty good mood of late. Why not, when his Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government just scored a resounding victory in the election three weeks ago.
When the leader is happy, he can be very generous too.
And that brings me to this “make-believe” happy episode: The morning after the GPS’ victory, Dr Sim Kui Hian made an early call to his boss, Abang Johari.
“Good morning, sir. Congrats on your maiden victory in Gedong. Aha, I didn’t do too badly in Batu Kawah too”, Sim, the SUPP president and second-time Batu Kawah victor, greeted the chief minister, tongue-in-cheek too.
Sensing that the boss was in an enthusiastic mood, Sim got straight to the point of his early morning call.
“Sir, I have been thinking of our proposed Sarawak Cancer Centre a lot. I believe this project should be given priority, and the uncertainties and instability of the federal government are not helping.
“Seriously, I would like to proceed with this project without having to wait much longer. As the former prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, has given the go-ahead earlier, can Sarawak proceed to build the cancer hospital with our own funds first?” Sim sounded to Abang Johari, who is also the finance minister.
When money is needed, who do you approach? The money man, of course!
Now, the proposed project does not cost RM1 million or RM2 million, where the chief minister could probably say ‘yes’ even if he was half asleep.
We are talking about RM900 million here and possibly more. Aha, I doubt Abang Johari or Dr Sim have very generous Arab royalty friends who could gift them with RM1 billion, let alone RM2.6 billion.
So, even when he has the power to approve allocations and projects on the spot, the chief minister has to check with his finance people first.
Rightly, he informed Sim that he should get an answer within two days, and the doctor did.
Not only did Abang Jo keep his word of presenting an answer two days later, but he also has very good news for Sim.
Sim’s next ‘baby’
On Jan 4, Sarawak heard the good vibrations. This time, it’s for real and not a make-believe story.
The Sarawak government will first utilise its funds to set up a cancer centre in Kuching, a happy and triumphant Sim announced at a press conference.
“The cancer hospital should be funded by the Health Ministry (MOH), but the chief minister said we will (provide) the funding first so that our people do not suffer, and then Putrajaya can pay us later,” he said.
That day was also special for Sim as he had just been sworn in as a deputy chief minister, a post which SUPP lost for 11 years because of its poor electoral outings.
For Sim, often viewed as a man of science rather than a politician, the cancer centre is more important than any political post. He is only too aware that political positions are only temporary while medical institutions are permanent.
The cancer centre is Sim’s next ‘baby’ after the successful Sarawak Heart Centre, built more than a decade ago in Kota Samarahan.
The minister has spoken passionately about the project, explaining that it was important for Sarawak to have its own cancer centre because cancer treatment costs are 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, Sim has stressed.
It is well and good that Putrajaya did not forget Muhyiddin’s promise of the cancer centre for Sarawak. Last November, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told Parliament that MOH was studying a proposal to set up a cancer centre in Samarahan to expand cancer services in Sarawak.
For the benefit of Sarawakians
Earlier in September last year, he also mentioned that MOH would submit the proposal to build the Sarawak Cancer Centre to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) under the Prime Minister’s Department for consideration.
I don’t think Khairy is correct to state that the proposal is only at the ‘consideration’ stage. It has been approved in principle by a former prime minister. This was two years ago, and the project should have taken off by now.
Understandably, political problems at the federal level plus the pandemic have forced development projects to be given low priority. However, this does not mean that Sarawak would have to wait for Putrajaya to settle down before urgent and necessary projects could proceed.
I am sure that the chief minister must have consulted the Sarawak financial secretary before deciding to go ahead with the project using Sarawak’s own funding first.
There must also be an agreement in place between Kuching and Putrajaya on how federal refunds are to be made available regarding the project.
It is important to have a clear understanding first as this is almost a billion ringgit project we are talking about. Let’s hope that the deal is honoured.
In the final analysis, this is about the people of Sarawak as the cancer centre is for their benefit. This is also an urgent and necessary project.
Here, I am reminded of the controversy and the millions allegedly being siphoned off in the Sarawak Heart Centre project.
The Sarawak Report story, published in 2011, was never denied by those allegedly involved.
As a Sarawakian, I hope such a controversy and corrupt practices would be unheard of in the new cancer centre project.
Sarawakians need the cancer hospital, and I appeal to my chief minister to ensure that only clean, decent and honest people are put in charge of this huge and important project.
Somehow, I have a feeling that everything will be above board if Sim is put in charge of his ‘baby’ and sees the project to its fruition. - Mkini
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.
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