Azih (third right) at the press conference yesterday.
SANDAKAN: The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) welcomes the recent announcement made by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Subramaniam that foreigners would have to bear full treatment charges at government clinics and hospitals nationwide.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, its president, Azih Muda, said it would be a wise move as the government could save RM100 million a year if foreigners had to pay full medical fees.
Cuepacs hopes the savings can be allocated for medicines and to add more haemodialysis machines in government hospitals.
“Cuepacs does not agree with the 30-40 per cent subsidy provided by the government to foreign workers. The subsidy should be revised as it is unfair for our people.
“Due to the enormous number of foreigners benefiting from the subsidy, Cuepacs is suggesting that the government revise the issues so the fees imposed on foreigners will be appropriate and less subsidised,” he said at a press conference after a seminar organised by Cuepacs Sabah, in collaboration with Sabah Medical Services Union (SMSU) Sandakan Branch at Hospital Duchess of Kent yesterday.
In another development, Cuepacs regretted the delay of a housing project developed under Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) in the state.
Azih, who visited several SPNB housing projects here at Mile 8 and Batu Sapi on Tuesday, said most of the buyers were civil servants and their houses were still under construction.
Cuepacs expressed hope that the construction of the houses could be expedited to ease the burden of some buyers who had started to pay their housing loans.
Also present at the ceremony were Cuepacs Malaysia Deputy Honorary Secretary (1) Adnan Mat and SMSU president Maiman Muntian.