KUALA LUMPUR: Dr Wee Jeck Seng has questioned the status of a RM150mil project to upgrade Hospital Pontian announced two years ago.
The Tanjung Piai MP expressed dismay that no work had been done on the project despite it being announced in previous budgets.
"The Prime Minister announced upgrades for the 100-year-old hospital under Budget 2023 in 2022.
"The project was to build two new four-storey blocks that can accommodate 150 beds.
"The proposed upgrade was also announced by the Johor Mentri Besar when launching the Independence Day month-long celebrations in Pontian last year, saying that RM500,000 was spent on the design.
"But two years have passed and there is no sign of work at the site. This is causing confusion among the residents in Pontian," he said when debating Budget 2025 in Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Oct 24).
Wee said there are now claims that the project has been cancelled as it was not listed under the 10, 11 and 12th Malaysia Plan.
"So what is the status of the project?" he asked.
On a separate matter, Wee also questioned the effectiveness of the special Kuala Lumpur strike force to tackle foreigners trading illegally at wholesale markets in the city.
Although enforcement operations and seizures are carried out, he said the illegal traders return the next day.
"How many operations or arrests of foreign nationals have been made by the strike force at wholesale markets in Kuala Lumpur?" he questioned.
The KL strike force unit, which comes under the Federal Territories Department, was formed early this year to tackle various security and public order issues in Kuala Lumpur.
Meanwhile, Wee suggested a more comprehensive approach to tackle urban poverty.
He cited a Khazanah Research Institute study which revealed that urban poverty had risen to 5% in 2022 from 3.8% in 2019.
He added that Kuala Lumpur had the highest number of urban poor affecting 6,774 families followed by Kuala Muda (5,229 families) and Kota Kinabalu (5,117 families).
He said that cash aid from the government alone would not solve the problem of urban poverty due to the pressures of city living.
"Providing cash aid is just a short-term solution. What is needed is a more holistic approach in solving urban poverty in a more comprehensive manner," he said.
Wee suggested that large companies could do more through their corporate social responsibility programmes by offering better job opportunities and training these groups to better their lives.
