By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 29: Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian’s overseas benchmarking visits are not for show—they are strategic investments in knowledge to bring back best practices to transform Sarawak’s healthcare.
Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap said this in response to a statement by Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong who called for Dr Sim, who is also the Minister for Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Sarawak, to re-evaluate his priorities and focus on resolving healthcare issues faced by the State’s rural communities rather than spending on what she called ‘frequent overseas study trips’.
She also claimed that Dr Sim had not visited rural clinics, nor had he highlighted the needs of rural health facilities on his social media platforms, and told him not to use the excuse that healthcare is a federal matter.
In his statement responding to Yong, Yap said that Dr Sim’s track record speaks for itself, from establishing the Sarawak Heart Centre to fighting for the State’s first cancer centre to amending the State’s public health ordinance for greater autonomy.
“These reforms have strengthened Sarawak’s ability to act swiftly during public health crises like Covid-19 and dengue outbreaks, without waiting for federal clearance,” he said.
At the same time, Yap voiced his support for the Sarawak Public Health Master Plan 2050 which reflects not just Dr Sim’s commitment, but also the Gabungan Parti Sarawak’s (GPS) governing abilities.
“The implementation of this plan is already underway, focusing especially on rural and remote communities. Whether it is addressing non-communicable diseases, strengthening maternal and child health, or improving environmental health, Sarawak is tackling real issues, with real policies, not just issuing statements for headlines,” he said.
In response to Yong’s criticisms, he questioned what she has done to improve the Tanah Puteh health clinic, which is within her constituency of Pending.
“Has she pursued federal upgrades, pushed for more staff, or even visited the clinic to engage directly with healthcare workers and patients?” he asked.
He also reiterated that healthcare is fundamentally under the purview of the federal government, which also includes the building and upgrading of clinics, especially in rural Sarawak.
“If YB Violet Yong now wants to highlight healthcare deficiencies, she must also answer for her inaction when DAP (Democratic Action Party) was in government from 2018 to 2020 and 2022 to now.
“Why didn’t YB Violet raise these same concerns then? Where was the funding for Sarawak’s clinics? Where was the blueprint for rural health equity?” asked Yap.
Yap then said that Sarawakians need to stand united to strengthen the State, not be divided for political gain.
“The future of Sarawak’s healthcare lies not in politicising every issue, but in putting the rakyat first. I urge all elected leaders: let us match our words with work, and our positions with purpose.” — DayakDaily
