File photo of Sikie speaking in DUN.
KUCHING (Jan 26): Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department, Datuk John Sikie Tayai, welcomes the statement of Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian that Sarawak should be getting more funds from the federal government for its health infrastructure.
“Of course as representative of a rural constituency l fully support the call that Sarawak should be given more funds as we are still left far behind Malaya, especially in terms of roads, treated water supply, better school conditions, better facilities for rural clinics and so on,” he said when reacting to Dr Sim’s comment.
Sikie, who is Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) senior vice president, said he would like people to have more children and not to restrain themselves despite Dr Sim’s revelation that Sarawak has high mortality rate, especially among the Bumiputeras in rural areas.
He reasoned that a bigger population is good for Sarawak in general because a bigger manpower in the future could contribute to Sarawak achieving developed status faster.
“I encourage especially the newly-weds not to do family planning early. Furthermore, our state government is giving incentives of RM1,000 to each and every child born and RM450 each to the mothers,” he pointed out.
Bukit Goram assemblyman Jefferson Jamit shared his views.
The Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) member said he hoped to see more funds for healthcare and health infrastructure, particularly for the improvement of rural clinics.
“Not only we are appealing for more frequent visits by doctors, we also ask for more nurses and medical assistants to be based in rural areas,” he added.
“We also need more educational visits to create more public awareness of proper and good nutrition apart from family planning and quality life for children and their future,” he pointed out.
During the Chinese New Year open house jointly hosted by Dr Sim, Batu Kitang state assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang, Kota Sentosa state assemblyman Wilfred Yap and Kuching South City mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng at the Padungan Community Centre here on Monday, Dr Sim said the Bumiputera communities in the rural areas of the state contribute the most to the high mortality rate when compared to the urban centres.
Sarawak’s mortality rate among infants aged five years and below is 14 per cent higher than the national average, with most cases among the Bumiputeras in the rural areas, he also said.
He attributed this to the lack of health infrastructure and equipment due to insufficient funding by the federal government.
The state Health Department also does not have enough manpower, such as nurses and other medical personnel, therefore, Sarawak should be getting more funds from the federal government for its health infrastructure, equipment, manpower and operating costs, he said.
Sarawak cannot be solely responsible for the overall high mortality rate in Malaysia, he stressed.