Real change via health metropolis

KUCHING: No one was more excited than Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced on Sunday night, Apr 10 that Sarawak will have the second health metropolis in the country.

The world-renowned cardiologist knows better what will come next when the hub is set up in Kuching.

"The Sarawak health metropolis will have universities, new hospitals and related manufacturing facilities. This is the real change we are talking about," said Sim, who is the most prominent new face fielded by the Barisan Nasional (BN) for the Apr 16 state election.

"I am so happy that the prime minister said this will be part of the government's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP). We in Kuching want to be a part of the ETP, we don't want to be left behind," he told reporters after the Najib's walkabout in Stutong market on Monday.

The 46-year-old, who is contesting in the biggest electorate of Pending in Kuching, said such "real change" was what the people wanted because they wanted jobs, education and economic opportunities.

Sim said the first health metropolis planned in Petaling Jaya was expected to create 4,400 jobs and estimated turnover of RM986 million by 2020. Najib had announced earlier this year that the RM1.25 billion health metropolis to be set up in Universiti Malaya in Petaling Jaya would be benchmarked against Harvard's Longwood Medical Centre and Stanford's Bio-X Centre.

Sim said he hoped that the people in Kuching would see the sincerity of BN candidates and the government's transformation plan.

The Pending candidate, from the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), stands out in his yellow T-shirt with the words "Real Heart, Real Action, Real Change" while going on his campaign rounds.

Najib announced the health metropolis for the state at a "meet-the-people" session with Sim and SUPP candidates, Sim Kiang Chiok (Padungan), Sih Hua Tong (Batu Lintang), Datuk Alfred Yap (Kota Sentosa) and Tan Joo Phoi (Batu Kawah). — Bernama