SIBU: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Dudong branch chairman Wong Ching Yong has reminded Lanang MP Alice Lau that it has been about a year since she last spoke about the proposed Sibu Heart and Cancer Centre, urging her to provide the people of Sibu with a proper update.
He said that over the past year, Lau had not disclosed any further developments, leaving the people here anxious and disappointed.
“Does Lau truly consider the establishment of a heart and cancer centre in Sibu an urgent priority, or is it just a trivial matter? I urge her to immediately give the people of Sibu, particularly voters in Lanang, a clear explanation,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Wong, who is also deputy chairman of the Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC), stressed that the proposed Sibu Heart and Cancer Centre was not an ordinary infrastructure project.
“Some projects can wait, but this one concerns lives. It must not be reduced to a mere political showpiece, announced once in a long while without real progress,” he said.
He pointed out that he had first raised the proposal for the Sibu Heart and Cancer Centre during the 2022 general election campaign.
“Unfortunately, I lost as many voters were swayed by DAP’s rhetoric of removing UMNO and changing the government.
“Still, because I raised the matter, Lau, who has already been MP for more than a decade, came under pressure. After being re-elected, she had no choice but to approach the health minister,” he claimed.
Wong recalled that in September 2023, Lau said she had submitted a proposal to then health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, but refused to make the proposal public despite requests.
“Until Dr Zaliha was replaced, there was no follow-up. About a year later, in 2024, Lau again said she had approached the new Health Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
“But apart from publicising her meeting with the new minister, there has been no progress for another year. How could the people of Sibu, especially Lanang voters, not feel deeply let down?” he asked.
Wong said that based on this yearly pattern, it was about time Lau issued another statement on the matter.
“This time, however, we hope it will not be just a formality without any concrete results. She must show real commitment — not just meet a health minister once and then go quiet, or passively wait for results.
“With government resources stretched, she must be willing to spend more time and energy. Each time she meets the health minister, she should be pressing the issue until good news finally comes.
“As Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker, she has countless opportunities to meet the health minister. What matters is whether she keeps the hopes of the Sibu people close to her heart,” he said.
As the current parliamentary term is already more than halfway through, Wong called on Lau to immediately disclose: the contents of the proposal she claimed to have submitted to the health ministers, including land size, building plans, facilities, and estimated cost; what follow-up actions, if any, the two health ministers had taken after receiving the proposal; and in light of the prolonged lack of progress, whether she had made further efforts to push for the project.
He also asked if the federal government had not agreed, how she intended to ensure the Sibu Heart and Cancer Centre would be realised within her present term.
“Sibu’s lack of a heart and cancer centre continues to affect patients seeking treatment. This must be addressed without delay. I will continue to work with the people of Sibu to monitor and press our MPs until the project is realised.
“Until then, I will relentlessly hold both Lanang and Sibu MPs accountable,” he said.
Wong, who is also SUPP’s assistant publicity and information secretary, noted that by contrast, SUPP president and Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian had shown strong commitment in pushing forward the Sarawak Cancer Centre project.
“Instead of pouring cold water on the project, DAP leaders should put their energy into supporting their colleagues in Sibu. With DAP holding the most parliamentary seats, they should use their influence to help ensure the Sibu Heart and Cancer Centre is built without further delay,” he added.
