Heartless takeover
Dec 19th, 2008 by Tian
The National Heart Institute or Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) will be taken over by Sime Darby, with the BN Government consent.
Another of public service fall into profiteering corporation. Over the last few years, IJN had saved many lives and provided poor people affordable services. With Sime Darby takes over 51% of the shares, the quality and affordability healthcare will soon be a big question mark.
The Government said that as long as the private company promises not to neglect its social obligation.
This guaranty holds no water. After all these years, we have seen failure after failure in all our privatization schemes, BN leaders still try to fool the people.
Even if our philanthropic minded Directors in Sime Darby agree to pour in money to ensure affordable healthcare, for how long they would do that? What stop them in the future (if Sime Darby go burst) to sell IJN to McDonald?
Private company has different priority and it is also naive to expect them not to fulfill social services at no profit. Healthcare access for lower and medium income earners in this country has deteriorated over the last few years, instead of improving services the Government is selling off more assets to make profit.
The people must take a strong stand to oppose this move!
This BN fellows have now resorted to raising money by selling the remaining assets of this great nation. Now they have their eyes on IJN, a national premier institute, the pride of the nation and in many cases, the only resort for needy Malaysians for affordable cardiac healthcare. Just imagine if a private company get their hands on IJN, experience shows us that all promises of affordable treatment etc will be discarded once the deal is done, also to note is that there is no talk about free treatment to the poor. All this talk by the PM and DPM about assurances is just eye wash and it is to deflect any sentiments or questions that such a move may raise. Aren’t we guaranteed healthcare by the constitution? I dont know as I am not familiar with our constitution, so maybe you can find out?
I can just see it happening. e.g. Sime Darby can be a front, IJN is sold cheaply as it has to provide affordable treatment. A new entity is formed to acquire IJN, of course the vested interest/cronies will be a major shareholder of this new entity without coming out with a cent. Sime Darby will foot the bill of acquisition, which will be very reasonable as IJN will be sold cheaply. All nice and legal and once again cronies enjoy. Just like the many other national assets sold under the privatization garb.
If this experiment by BN comes through, then quite naturally the next in line will be the General Hospitals, etc. So where do the poor and needy turn to?
I request you to highlight this issue or even have a campaign to stop this as it is a worthy cause before they sell off the rest of Malaysia.
What a sad and sorry state of affairs, has the time come that even the soul can be sold?
I JUST CAN NOT BELIEVE IT – THEY ARE PLANNING TO SELL OFF IJN. IT IS A HEARTLESS DECISION.WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD ENOUGH OF WHAT PRIVATISATION HAS DONE TO THE PUBLIC. JUST STOP IT. IF SIME DARBY IS INTERESTED LET THEM TAKE OVER THE TANJUNG RAMBUTAN HOSPITAL AND DRUG REHABILITATION CENTRES IN THE COUNTRY.
YELLOW BIRD
Hi Tian Chua,
Understood your point but I’m sorry to say this article of yours are NOT CONSTRUCTIVE enough in your point of arguments.
1) To be a GOOD MP, you should name the type of steps to be taken as to address this issue. However, what you’re doing is just simply moaning & grumbling like some old lady in the pasar over the price of vegetables which have gone up. That’s NOT the way, my friend!!!
2) There’s NO WAY you or even Anwar Ibrahim can stop Sime Darby from taking over IJN. This is indeed the truth. Hence, what will be Pakatan Rakyat’s plan to counter this takeover (other than having nonsense street demo, cycling & walking to Parliament)??? Pls. be more constructive instead of doing foolish things which brings no whatsoever benefits or changes!!!
3) As to suggest my opinion towards your disagreement ….why can’t Pakatan Rakyat build/create another organizaton similar (or even better) than IJN??? Atleast, this will enable ‘the rakyat’ to have alternative selections for affordable healthcare. “Talking is cheap & brings you nowhere”. You need to offer concrete steps to address problems & not “mengadu, mengadu, mengadu”. Get it, bro???
4) Whether this takeover will be a GOOD MOVE or BAD MOVE….”No one knows” (unless one is GOD). Hence, why should anybody bitch & complain over something that is still unknown??? What if this takeover proved to be a better move??? The rakyat will then lose out of efficient & affordable healthcare simply becos’ some dumb dudes in the Opposition are protesting foolishly over it. Why jump to conclusion when introduction have not even begun???
5) As a MP from Pakatan Rakyat, it doesn’t mean you MUST disagree & protest against whatever BN have proposed. If an idea makes sense..”You agree & shut your mouth” & if the idea doesn’t makes sense…”You open your mouth but give CONSTRUCTIVE suggestions”. Please DO NOT “buta-buta membantah” just becos an idea came from your rivals. Look at the issue & address the issue rather than simply protesting against this & that of which yourself doesn’t even know.
6) My advice to you & other fellow Pakatan Rakyat leaders is to “BUCK UP”. You guys/gals are NO longer the inferior bunch. You guys/gals have won the trust & confidence of ‘the rakyat’ since March. It’s time you guys/gals put words into actions!!! Please stop all those nonsense of complaining, protesting, cycling & other stupid acts which you have done before. You fellas ought to start behaving & performing like leaders. If you guys/gals still continue doing what you’ve been doing prior to March…”You will NEVER EVER defeat BN & will always be merely ambulance chasers!!!”
DEar Chua,
Understand this. This hospital is bankrupt, bust, insolvent, etc etc just like Lehmann brothers and the US auto industry. Did you ever ask for their financial reports or statistics in parliment….you didnt….instead of playing the popular politician…..find an amicable way to keep financing this hospital using tax payers money, EPF, etc, etc…if you dont have a solution better sell now to save the place. Why did you keep queit when the IJN buggers were doing million dollar heart transplants when there were so many people waiting for bypass surgery. Which grandfather is going to keep propping up this hospital. Go learn some health care financing from Margaret Thatcher, Gordon Brown or Lee Kuan Yew…….dont just open your mouth for the sake of opening…
My only hope is, one day those who make the decision to privatize IJN, will become poor and suffer a heart problem and let see them begging.
As Malaysian I am truly disgusted and fed up!!! Wonder what actually people like PM and DPM see all this, as it will deprive poor people of the opportunity in getting some treatment. Is money everything in this world? Or is this country belong to those filthy rich few who have been robbing the nation’s wealth thru whatever power they have!!! Shame on you the government.???!!!!!! Sick nation!!! YB, never mind we will wait for the next PRU, after all in a matter of 4 years!!! hang on there fellow Malaysians.
Despite SD and Najib’s assurances, who is to stop IJN from charging ‘admin fees’ or equivalents which hides the heartless fee increase. Gomen wants people to die or what?
This UMNO ’s Goons will find any ways to fill up their coffers since the fall of the price Palm Oil. They need the money to finance their “Ketuanan melayu” concepts. Their Datuks and Tan Sri’s cannot finance UMNO…..so thats why Sime moved for this……PR MP’s must oppose this move….
The take-over will be approved once BN win the KT by-election because it is the people who “approve” the take over.
As until now, I did not see any opposition party oppose such move. Surelly PR must oppose such move or maybe we did not see in the media. I hope PR should organise demo against the privitise of IJN. We all rakyat will surelly support your action.
Hello Tian Chua.
Based on the very hard experience learned at great cost in the UK, any privatisation of a public general or teaching post-graduate research-centred hospital will fail disastrously.
Medical facilities are need-based, learning-oriented and research-centred, NOT profit-based, greed-oriented and maximisation of shareholders’ wealth-centred.
That is not a loose opinion but a solid, informed fact based on direct experience.
So try to stop this privatisation because the IJN seems to be worth saving from the claws of greed, as it seems to have the good reputation of being one of the better public hospitals around for those who cannot afford to pay through no-fault of their own, the extortionate private hospital medical rip-off fees.
And I know as a matter of fact through hard experience and personal loss that the IJN is certainly superior to that heartless medical hell-hole of a certain university hospital where incompetence and reckless negligence festers and breeds like the deadly MRSA-virus. So if the need to privatise really exists through a real lack of public funds, suggest the Government privates this unprofessional hell-hole instead.
Another good fight for the People to take on to your and PR’s shoulders so good luck!
“Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon.
i justr ead that IJN will not be taken over by sime darby.what a relieve.the BN has not learnt the lessons well. they seems to be addicted to malpractices, what a shame and thet are not shamefull.collecting illegal wealth is a sin,which they all all know about it.but no they want to fill up their stomach they go where money is and in what way are they going to take care of the raayat???oh god please put some sense into them to keep their minds away from money
This very country becoming a corporate playground since the DEB and Privatization by Tun Mahathir. And now, IJN becoming the property Sime Darby. Damnation! This is literally playing with Malaysians citizen heart. Even now the patient have to wait like hell to saving money to have an operation, imagine how it would be if Sime Darby take over. This is serious, because in the business world, money come first, not your body (your heart in this particular case). I hereby urge all Malaysians despite of whatever races they think they belong to, oppose this forsaken takeover. In the street, in the internet, what ever the medium you choose, just spread this message “Stop Heartless Privatization in Malaysia” before it’s too late…
Unless all Malaysian are provided with health , medical , surgical and hospitalization insurance by the gov. Privatization of health care cannot be done and must be rejected.