KUCHING: Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap has come to the defence of Deputy Premier and Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, following criticism from Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong over Dr Sim’s overseas benchmarking visits and alleged rural healthcare neglect.
Yap said Dr Sim’s trips abroad were not for show, but strategic efforts to gather knowledge and best practices aimed at improving Sarawak’s healthcare system. He stressed that true reform requires vision, planning, and leadership rooted in service to the people.
“Dr Sim’s overseas visits are part of a results-driven and fact-based approach. What Sarawakians want are better services, not political distractions,” he added.
He expressed full support for the Sarawak Public Health Master Plan, which was launched in April 2025 and is fully self-financed by the Sarawak government.
He pointed out that Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia to have undertaken such a comprehensive, independent initiative to reform healthcare.
“The implementation of this plan is already underway, especially in rural and remote communities — targeting non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, and environmental health,” he added.
Yap also reminded that healthcare infrastructure and funding fall under the responsibility of the Federal Government. He questioned Yong’s silence on these issues during her party’s time in federal power from 2018 to 2020 and again from 2022 to the present.
Highlighting Dr Sim’s achievements, Yap cited the establishment of the Sarawak Heart Centre, the push for the state’s first cancer centre, and the 2022 amendment of the Sarawak Public Health Ordinance which gave the state greater autonomy in managing public health.
“Thanks to these reforms, Sarawak can now respond more swiftly to crises like COVID-19 and dengue without waiting for federal approval,” he said.
As the local assemblyman, Yap said he works closely with health officers, JKR, local councils, and community leaders to monitor services at Hospital Sentosa and Klinik Kesihatan Kota Sentosa, as well as to promote health awareness and improve service delivery under the RTP programme.
He called on all elected representatives to prioritise the people and match their words with real work, adding, “The future of Sarawak’s healthcare lies in service to the rakyat, not politicising every issue.”
By Connie Chieng