Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on April 13, 2018

GEORGE TOWN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak launched 12 health projects valued at RM1.4 billion in Penang yesterday.

They include several projects at the Penang Hospital, such as a specialist clinic block, maternity ward, women’s block, children’s block and hospital quarters.

Other projects include the construction of the Kepala Batas Nurses College in Bertam and the Bandar Perda Health Clinic, the upgrading of the Seberang Jaya Hospital, the centralised air-conditioning system operation theatre and electrical system at Bukit Mertajam Hospital, and the emergency and outpatient department at Balik Pulau Hospital.

Speaking at a “meet-the-people session in Balik Pulau, Najib also announced that the toll for motorcycles on Penang Bridge would be abolished if Barisan Nasional (BN) wrests control of the state in the May 9 general election.

Najib, who is BN chairman, said the federal government had allocated up to RM4 billion for Penang in the last five years.

“I will allocate more for bigger developments in Balik Pulau, but you will have to wait until we win (in the election) first. For now, I will allocate RM10.5 million for the building of an overhead pedestrian bridge in Kampung Seronok.

“In the Penang BN manifesto, there are allocations for RM65,000 houses, but you have to let me win first,” he said.

“However, we will abolish the motorcycle toll for Penang Bridge,” he added.

Najib also took a jibe at Pakatan Harapan which wants to “save” Malaysia.

“Save Malaysia from what? Our gross domestic product (GDP) was 5.9% in 2017, one of the best among all countries. Our ringgit is among the strongest after rising to about 3.86 against the US dollar, from 4.4 previously. Our debt to GDP ratio is down to 50.8% from 55%, and foreign reserves have risen to US$104 billion (RM403.52 billion) from US$20 billion during Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s era. We are better off now than before,” he said.

Najib also said it was Dr Mahathir, currently the Pakatan Harapan chairman, who introduced tolled highways but now wants to abolish them.

“I did not introduce them and I did not increase the toll rates, but where are they (Pakatan Harapan) going to get RM380 billion to compensate (the concessionaires)?” he said.

 

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