By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Dec 16: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has instructed the Public Works Department (JKR) to expedite the Sarawak Cancer Centre (SCC) project, which is slated for tender in the first quarter of 2026 and targeted to be completed and operational before 2031.
In a Facebook post, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said this followed a special project monitoring meeting chaired by the prime minister at Putrajaya on Monday (Dec 15), where the SCC was among the four projects presented.
Dr Sim, who is also the Minister for Public Health, Housing, and Local Government, added that the groundbreaking for the project is expected to take place in the third quarter of 2026.
“Cancer patients in Sarawak need state-of-the-art facilities so that our medical specialists in SGH (Sarawak General Hospital) can do more,” he said.
He said that the SCC will not only be the largest and only full-fledged dedicated cancer centre in Malaysia, but it will also form an important component of the Sarawak Health Metropolis in Samarahan.
At the same time, he also touched on the challenges faced in retaining medical subspecialists, as their services are sought after worldwide.
“When it comes to subspecialist hospitals, it is important that we have not only world-class infrastructure but also world-class doctors and nurses.
“Similarly, I always told everyone, if any of the doctors or medical specialists are not up to standard in Malaysia, we should not pass them even though we are in severe shortage of doctors,” he said, adding there are no shortcuts when it comes to human lives.
The centre will feature 310 beds within a gross floor area of 154,498.26 square metres, with a total cost of RM1.5 billion. — DayakDaily
