RM60mil in the bag for training hospital

GEORGE TOWN: The specialist training hospital to be managed by Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) and built in Kampar is off to a good start with RM60mil in donations in the bag.

Utar council chairman Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik (pic) said more fund­raising activities would be held soon to secure funds for the RM300mil hospital.

“Up until now, we have received RM60mil from two well-wishers. Although we are still short of RM240mil, I am confident that we are going to pull through as we have secured a good start.

“There is a Chinese saying that you are halfway through to success once you have secured a good start,” he said.

Dr Ling said that when he first started raising funds for Utar years ago, he received RM20mil each from Genting group founder, the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, and “Sugar King” Robert Kuok.

“That was a really good start and the rest, as they say, is history,” he said at a gathering with seve­­ral MCA veterans at Gold Coast Seaside Seafood Restaurant in Karpal Singh Drive here yesterday.

The teaching hospital, he added, would have 300 beds and offer treatment using conventional and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Dr Ling, who helms the newly set-up MCA Higher Education Institutions Co­­ordination Committee, said short courses on preparing famous hawker food would be offered under the Uni­versity System of Tunku Abdul Rahman (Ustar) – a new grouping comprising Utar, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Kojadi Institute and the Institute of Childhood Education Studies and Community Educa­tion.

“The courses are open to all. We need more people in the food industry. Don’t just dream of becoming doctors, engineers, accoun­­tants or architects.

“A good char koay teow seller can earn more than a doctor.

“We want to bring jobs to the people. In Malaysia’s education sys­­­tem, it is only the rich who learn while the poor don’t. The rich are the ones with the money to send their children for tuition and the poor have no chance,” said Dr Ling.

Also present were Dr Ling’s wife Toh Puan Ena Ling, former Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Datuk Lim Si Cheng, former Penang MCA chairman Tan Sri Dr Sak Cheng Lum, Penang MCA adviser Datuk Dr Loh Hock Hun and Penang Wanita MCA chief Datuk Ooi Siew Kim.