JOHOR BARU: An emotional moment marked the opening of the Tunku Laksamana Johor Cancer Centre and Hospital in Larkin on Friday (Dec 5) when His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia was seen fighting back tears while watching a montage commemorating his son, the late Tunku Abdul Jalil Sultan Ibrahim.
The montage reflected moments of joy and affection shared between Tunku Abdul Jalil, His Majesty and the Royal family, marking 10 years since his passing from liver cancer.
Tunku Abdul Jalil, who was Tunku Laksamana of Johor, died on Dec 5, 2015 at Sultanah Aminah Hospital here at the age of 25 after battling stage four liver cancer since late 2014.
The Tunku Laksamana Johor Cancer Centre and Hospital is located opposite the Sultan Ismail Library and offers medical facilities including a positron emission tomography (PET) CT scanner, linear accelerator, cyclotron, theranostics and gene therapy services.
His Majesty arrived at 8.57am accompanied by Raja Permaisuri Agong Raja Zarith Sofiah, the Regent of Johor Tunku Mahkota Ismail, and Che' Puan Mahkota Khaleeda Johor.
Also present were Tunku Putera Johor Tunku Abu Bakar Al-Haj Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Temenggong Johor Tunku Idris Iskandar Al-Haj Sultan Ibrahim, as well as Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
"I hereby officiate the launch of the Tunku Laksamana Johor Cancer Centre," Sultan Ibrahim proclaimed when launching the medical facility.
The ceremony began with a speech by the centre's director, Dr William Chong, who said the facility is dedicated to serving all segments of society with the highest quality of care.
"We are committed and we pledge to provide advanced medical services for all communities, especially Bangsa Johor. We will not neglect low-income households and will set aside enough time and space and resources to help all in the state," he said.
He added that the cancer centre and hospital will be equipped with a new cyclotron for the benefit of the public, while reinforcing their commitment to lower-income groups.
Meanwhile, Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the launch marks an important milestone in strengthening the state's healthcare sector and boosting Johor's medical tourism efforts.
The ceremony also featured the unveiling of the Tunku Laksamana Johor Cancer Centre logo and the signing of the official plaque. - Bernama
