ADUN SPEAKS | The Health Ministry’s statement yesterday that the RM150 million announced by the then health minister Liow Tiong Lai in 2012 was never disbursed does not contradict my allegation that MCA has hijacked the Kampar government hospital to build the Utar private hospital.

In fact, the Health Ministry’s statement proved that from 2012 to 2017, MCA has never seriously looked for suitable land to build a government hospital in Kampar.

If the original land is not suitable, why can’t MCA look for an alternate suitable land?

After the change of government in 2018, the Pakatan Harapan government identified a new suitable land in Kampung Changkat Baru within a short span of three months and revived the Kampar government hospital plan.

This proved that MCA is not sincere to build a government hospital in Kampar.

In 2012, Liow announced that BN will build a government hospital in Taman Kampar Putra in Kampar.

However, after BN cancelled the project in 2016 due to unsuitable land condition, the then deputy health minister Hilmi Yahya announced in 2017 that BN will cooperate with Utar to build a private hospital to save cost.

The same year, Mah Hang Soon, who was then the Perak Exco in charge of health portfolio, also stated in the Perak state assembly that the BN government cancelled the government hospital project after the Health Ministry was informed of the proposed non-profit private hospital by Utar.

This proves that the BN government intended to use the allocation that was never disbursed to cooperate with Utar to build a private hospital.

BN first announced their plan to build a government hospital in Kampar in 2012. Utar only announced their intention to build a private hospital two years later in 2014.

This substantiates my claim that MCA has hijacked the Kampar Government Hospital to build a private hospital.

All my statements are based on news reports and statements of the former minister, deputy minister and state executive committee, and I stand by my allegation.

I am ready to prove and reveal the truth in court so that the people can clearly understand the whole issue regarding the Kampar Hospital.

CHONG ZHEMIN is DAP Perak publicity secretary and Keranji assemblyperson.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.