I refer to the Malaysiakini report Gov't gives green light to IJN privatisation

What else is going up for grabs? Now, even the nation's sole heart institute (IJN) is fair game.

The deputy prime minister who is also the Finance Minister reassures us that Sime Darby's interest in taking a cut on IJN would not marginalise the poor. This is totally unacceptable.

The entire episode does not lend well with credibility and common sense.

When a private business enterprise takes over a national health provider, the first thing that happens is funding is pumped into the business. Now, let us speak the truth for once. When a businessman puts in his money or when the investment manager pumps in the shareholders' money, what is the top most priority?

Of course, the return on investments will be the sole agenda. The government must stop whitewashing the issue with all kinds of statements like "the poor will not be marginalised".

Anyway, what is the investor's definition of "poor" and what is the benchmark for "marginalisation"? Please stop this greedy agenda and think in terms of national interest, duty to the rakyat and governance with wisdom.

This country has only one national heart institute and all the hospitals are sending their patients over there. In other words, there is a huge catchment. Do we not then smell the greedy focus on the huge profiteering that can arise from this venture by giving off IJN to a business entity?

So come on, stop that rhetoric that by privatising the institute the doctors will get better wages.

How can the government forget some further realities too. Foremost, look at the nation's health status. We have some of the highest incidents of heart disease in the region, right?

Look at our lifestyles. Only the rich can eat well or eat and live well by choice.

But the vast majority of the population gets by on roti canai , teh tarik and nasi lemak . Added to it is all the other range of cheap, fast foods and lower quality food items. And that is not by choice mind you!

Do we not have the courage to face this truth? Even the rice we ordinary rakyat eat is far different from the beras mahal that fill the tummy of the elite in this nation. It is a privilege, some will have us believe. Others will be told, it is our nasib , while the rest will be chided with, "who is stopping you from being elitist".

Already having IJN under the Ministry of Finance is bad enough when it should have been under the Ministry of Health.

If we take this precedence, then tomorrow we might as well have the pasar malam and wet markets under the Ministry of Education and hospitals under the Ministry of Agriculture, right?

So, to allow the IJN to become a private enterprise is not only bad for the rakyat, it is also bad for the government.

Hopefully, the nation's leaders will allow wisdom to prevail and not let greed rob the nation even further.