KUCHING: It will be a positive move to appoint a representative from the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) as Senator in Dewan Negara as a more inclusive approach in reforming the nation’s healthcare system.
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences public health expert Associate Professor Dr Helmy Hazmi said the representation would offer alternative views and voices from the medical fraternity from both the government and private practice.
He said this would be an encouraging move as most of the issues that occur within the Ministry of Health trickled down to the medical fraternity working in other sectors such as the private sector and the universities.
“This means, a decision reached within the framework of the Ministry of Health should be a win-win situation that benefits those in private practice and the universities, and not just the ministry itself.
“After all, all these entities serve the people. When they are happy, everyone benefits, including health clients,” he stressed.
The different voices and views, Assoc Prof Helmy said, should not be considered as a rival or challenger to the ministry but as a concerned stakeholder or partner to the health system.
“Let the appointed senator be the eye that sees things on the dark side of the moon,” he said, when commenting on the Sarawak Premier supporting the proposal to have a representative from MMA appointed as Senator in Dewan Negara.
“I support this because for NGOs (non-governmental organisations), sometimes you have a quota – perhaps the medical profession should have the representative in Dewan Negara,” Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said in response to the call made by MMA president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai during Sarawak MMA’s 50th anniversary dinner recently.
Abang Johari said he would ask Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and the other four federal Cabinet ministers from Sarawak, namely Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing to bring this proposal to the Cabinet.
