By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 6: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong Branch chairman Wong Ching Yong has called out Sibu MP Oscar Ling for prioritising the RM300 million Sibu Prison upgrade over Sibu Hospital, which he described as a ‘major disappointment’ to the people of Sibu.
In a press release, he stated his belief that the majority of Sibu residents agree that instead of spending RM300 million on a new prison, those funds would be better used to build a new hospital in Sibu or, at the very least, to allocate half of that sum to upgrade the existing Sibu Hospital.
He also questioned whether Ling, who cited overcrowding in Sibu Prison when pressing the Home Minister for updates, was aware that Sibu Hospital is facing an even more critical situation with overcrowded wards and insufficient facilities.
“Besides the severe shortage of beds, Sibu Hospital is in urgent need of more specialist departments, such as cardiology and oncology. The lack of parking spaces also adds unnecessary stress to patients and their families.
“Are these pressing healthcare issues seen as secondary compared to the needs of prisoners in the eyes of the DAP (Democratic Action Party) MP?” he asked.
While Wong clarified that he does not dismiss the problems arising from an old and overcrowded prison, given the federal government’s limited resources, the allocation of funds must be based on clear priorities.
At the same time, Wong also called out Lanang MP Alice Lau, as both she and Ling are the only MPs representing Sibu in Parliament.
“They have each served for more than a decade, and Alice is even the Deputy Speaker of Parliament. They cannot shirk responsibility for the lack of progress in upgrading Sibu Hospital,” he stressed. — DayakDaily
