PERMATANG PAUH, April 28 – Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today announced that RM400 million will be allocated to a hospital within the Permatang Pauh constituency, as campaigning goes full swing for the Permatang Pauh by-election.
He said that the RM400 million is part of the 10th Malaysia Plan that will be used to upgrade a multi-storey block of the Seberang Jaya Hospital, with work estimated to start this year. “The project to upgrade a multi-storey block at the Seberang Jaya Hospital and is estimated to cost RM400 million, with work projected to start this year,” Muhyiddin said when launching the hospital’s upgrade today.
Health Minister Datuk Seri S. Subramanian said the announcement by the deputy prime minister is proof that the federal government is ever willing to help Permatang Pauh’s residents despite the constituency being a PKR stronghold. “This hospital is proof of what the Barisan Nasional government has done for the needs of the people here for 30 years even though residents here have been under the opposition for 30 years, but hospitals are still being built,” he said.
Subramaniam added that over RM900 million has been budgeted for health and medical services in Penang, though he was sparse on the details. The Election Commission announced on Saturday that voters will have the choice of PKR’s Dr Wan Azizah, Barisan Nasional’s Suhaimi Sabudin, PRM’s Azman Shah Othman or independent Salleh Isahak come polling day on May 7.
The Permatang Pauh seat was vacated after PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was imprisoned in February over a charge of sodomising his former aide. Permatang Pauh has been a PKR stronghold since Dr Wan Azizah led the party to regain the seat in the 1999 general election. A total of 71,890 registered voters in Permatang Pauh will cast their vote for their new MP on May 7, while early polls are on May 3.
