SMC's RM238m price tag based on valuation: Liow

SMC's RM238m price tag based on valuation: Liow
Published on: Daily Express / Thursday, December 17, 2009

LIOW shot down allegations by certain quarters that the Government wasted the people's money in acquiring SMC for RM238 million, which they claim is too expensive.

He said since this involved a government asset everything was done in accordance to procedure to ensure that every single sen spent is beneficial for the people. He said the RM238 million was based on the proposed valuation price and it had also been referred to other valuation firms and was considered to be reasonable and accepted by all.

"The Federal Government is very concerned with the healthcare service in Sabah," he said, adding that attempts by certain quarters to politicise health issues in Sabah were uncalled for.

"I am committed, the Ministry is committed and the Federal Government is committed É we will continue to build more hospitals and clinics so that health in the outskirts and rural areas will be taken care of," he said.

It includes servicing remote areas like islands through the helicopter service and scheduled visits by the mobile clinics, he said.

Liow said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, himself was very concerned about Sabah's healthcare resulting in the approval to purchase SMC. The matter was also thoroughly discussed in the Federal Cabinet, he said, adding that to build a new building might take about three years and that it would be much quicker to address the shortage of hospital beds here through the purchase of SMC.

He urged those people trying to manipulate health issues for political gains to stop doing so. "We bought at a fair price for the people of Sabah, everything is transparent." Also on hand were Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Edward Khoo, State Health Director, Dr Marzuki Mohd Isa and senior health officials.