ISKANDAR PUTERI: Sunway Healthcare Group is set to open its first hospital in southern Malaysia here, with an estimated RM800mil investment and a capacity of more than 400 beds.
Johor investment, trade, consumer affairs and human resources committee chairman Lee Ting Han said the development of Sunway Medical Centre Iskandar Puteri marked a significant investment in the state and reflected confidence in Johor's continued growth.
"Today, we are marking an RM800mil vote of confidence in Johor and in the future of Iskandar Puteri.
"A hospital of this scale does much more than add beds and medical facilities. It gives families greater access to specialist care and creates skilled careers for our people.
"It strengthens Johor’s appeal to investors and talent. Most importantly, it assures the people who choose to build their lives here that quality healthcare will grow alongside our economy," he said in his speech during the groundbreaking ceremony of the medical centre.
Lee said the development was timely given Johor's rapid economic growth and the need for its social infrastructure to keep pace.
He said Johor was already strong in manufacturing, data centres, petrochemicals, logistics and infrastructure.
"Our next phase must also expand high-value, knowledge-intensive services. Healthcare belongs at the centre of that effort," he added.
Meanwhile, Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah said Sunway has always believed in Johor's immense potential and that quality healthcare is essential to sustaining the state's growth.
"Businesses choose to invest where people can build secure and fulfilling lives, and families place their trust in places where quality medical care is within reach.
"We look forward to building a trusted medical institution that serves Johor and the wider region for generations to come," he said.
Sunway Healthcare Group president Datuk Lau Beng Long said Sunway Medical Centre Iskandar Puteri will be more than a standalone hospital.
"As part of the integrated Sunway City Iskandar Puteri township, it will support the health and well-being of surrounding communities.
"As the healthcare anchor of this integrated ecosystem, the hospital will enable us to bring our clinical expertise, integrated model of care and commitment to service excellence to communities across southern Malaysia as well as international patients from Indonesia and Singapore," he said.
The medical centre, located within Sunway City Iskandar Puteri, is expected to be completed in 2030 and employ a workforce of more than 1,400 healthcare professionals.
