KUCHING: Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian is looking forward to the construction of the cancer centre announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently.
“We are in the last round, we are almost there, even the Prime Minister announced it in Parliament last year, we still have not signed it, we are almost there but not quite,” he said.
Dr Sim said that due to the ‘bo lui’ (financially lacking) situation at the federal government level, he said that the Sarawak government does not wish to see its people suffer and ‘tengok saja’ (just observing).
“The patients with cancer cannot keep on waiting so the state government will use its own funds first while the federal government contributes funds later.
“Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg wants to make sure the people of Sarawak are taken care of.
“Since the Sarawak government has the money, we will build first and they (federal government) will pay us later,” he told the media when met during the Seng Ong deity procession at Hong San Si, Wayang Street here, yesterday (March 31).
He added that the setting up of the cancer centre should not be delayed further due to the rising number of cancer patients.
Meanwhile, Dr Sim, who is also the Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, noted that he had asked the state health department director to discuss with the ministry regarding the dilapidated clinics situation in Sarawak.
“I have asked the state health department director to sit down quickly with us because there has been a lot of dilapidated schools, but they forget (about) a lot of dilapidated clinics also.
“So we have to sit down, whatever we propose, the federal government has to agree also.”
On March 30, Anwar gave the green light to the state government’s request to set up the Sarawak Cancer Centre in Kota Samarahan during a meeting with Abang Johari and other state ministers.
According to Anwar, the construction of the cancer centre, located near the Sarawak Heart Centre, will begin as soon as possible.
