PUTRAJAYA: The government’s share of profits generated from the RakanKKM programme will be reinvested into public healthcare, says Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan (pic).
He added the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) is working with the Health Ministry (KKM) on RakanKKM under the GEAR-uP programme.
The Health Ministry’s GEAR-uP programme was activated last year, with six leading government-linked investment companies (GLICs) collectively pledging to invest RM120bil in direct domestic investment (DDI) over the next five years.
“The whole idea is to look at some assets that exist within KKM that may not be optimally structured. Maybe it is wards that have not been opened up or understaffed or under-capitalised,” he told The Star in interview recently.
“Bringing in the GLICs to provide capital may actually create immediate delivery to the rakyat in terms of more services, but in a different model.”
“RakanKKM is about a private delivery mechanism within a government system, so it’s like premium economy.
“It makes a difference in creating more choices for the rakyat.
“For instance when it comes to patients who are particular about the doctor they want looking after them.
“If you are under public healthcare, you don’t get to choose.
“But in the ‘premium economy’, you get choices, but there’s a cost.
“With this arrangement, some of the income generated from this programme will be returned to the investors while some will remain in the public healthcare sector,” he said.
“My arrangement with KKM is that if they generate anything in public health, I will reinvest every sen I have into healthcare because healthcare is a basic infrastructure that’s important for the rakyat.
“There they can put in more MRI machines, more X-ray machines, equipment to improve service delivery to the rakyat, and they can share some income to the staff that works there.”
Amir Hamzah said that while the Finance Ministry provided a small amount as funds, a bulk of the capital came from the GLICs involved.
This, he added, creates a win-win situation for both the private and public sectors.
A total of RM25mil was allocated for the programme under Budget 2025. For a start, it will be rolled out in five hospitals.
Patients will be provided medical care on a “premium economy” basis, where they will be provided personalised care, the ability to choose their specialists, as well as additional privacy and comfort in the wards, for a fee.
