Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s signal for an allocation to be approved for the development of a new hospital in Semenyih was meant more for the Finance Ministry than the Health Ministry, said Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad.

He said this was because the approval for new hospital projects had always been under the Finance Ministry’s jurisdiction.

“I’m not sure who would get the knock on the head, but the Health Ministry can only do the planning, it will be the Finance Ministry that will have the final say.

“Mahathir’s signal was more for the Finance Ministry to approve the allocation, but the MOH is prepared to develop whatever facilities that will help and benefit the people,” he told reporters after opening the 2nd AMDI International Oncology & Medical Physics Symposium in George Town today.

Dzulkefly said this in response to Mahathir’s playful remark during his speech at the Harapan's ceramah perdana programme last night, that the minister who did not approve the Semenyih hospital project would get a "knock" (ketuk) from him.

The prime minister said the people’s request for a new hospital in Semenyih must be given appropriate consideration if the Harapan candidate won the Semenyih by-election.

- Bernama