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By DayakDaily Team KUCHING, Nov 6: Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap has called on Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak to stop politicising healthcare, saying the party’s repeated attempts to shift blame onto the Sarawak government only expose its poor grasp of federal responsibility. Yap said DAP Sarawak’s latest statement by Michael Kong, special assistant to Chong Chieng Jen, once again showed that the party remains “out of touch with the fundamental realities of governance” despite being part of the federal government coalition. He emphasised that healthcare remains a federal government responsibility under the Federal Constitution, and Sarawak, which contributes billions in taxes annually to the national coffers, deserves adequate healthcare infrastructure and manpower funded by Putrajaya. “DAP Sarawak should be demanding accountability from the federal government instead of shifting the burden onto the Sarawak government. “Their proposal is misguided, financially unrealistic and legally questionable,” Yap said in a statement today. Yap also described Kong’s comparison between AirBorneo and the State’s healthcare system as “misleading”, pointing out that AirBorneo is a commercial initiative under the Ministry of Transport (MOT) to boost regional connectivity and stimulate economic growth, whereas healthcare is a public service governed by federal law and long-term funding commitments. He added that the Sarawak government is already implementing the Sarawak Public Health Master Plan 2050—a structured and sustainable roadmap to strengthen public healthcare without duplicating federal roles or wasting state funds. “Rather than chasing headlines or making populist proposals, the Sarawak government under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) is taking the responsible route by focusing on collaboration, infrastructure upgrades and community-level initiatives. “DAP Sarawak should stop playing politics with healthcare. If they are sincere about improving the health system, they should pressure their counterparts in the federal government to deliver the funding, hospitals and medical staff that Sarawak rightfully deserves,” he asserted. Earlier today, Kong defended DAP’s call for the State to explore new models such as non-profit hospitals to ease congestion at Sarawak General Hospital, arguing that, just as the government invested in AirBorneo for socio-economic benefit, it should also be bold in healthcare. The healthcare debate began when DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen proposed during the party’s convention in Bintulu on Oct 26 for the State government to establish State-owned non-profit hospitals that could offer affordable treatment to Sarawakians. The idea was quickly criticised by Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) leaders, including political secretary Kho Teck Wan, who questioned why Sarawakians should “pay again” for services that constitutionally fall under federal responsibility. – DayakDaily
