SCRAPPED KLANG PRIVATE HOSPITAL
Z. IBRAHIM

I read with interest Datuk Seri Mohamad Khir Toyo’s decision to stop the construction by an international conglomerate to build a RM400 million hospital in Teluk Gadung Klang. “Plans for Klang hospital scrapped” (NST March 30, 2007).

Apparently the MB was “advised” to do so by his political comrade in arms and Klang Municipal Council (MPK) councilor Datuk Teh Kim Poo on questionable scientific grounds that “”It would be bad feng shui for his neighborhood, himself included and that they feel the value of their homes will drop.”

Because of this superstition and without a proper debate by the MPK itself, yet again Mr. Teh Kim Poh appears to have single-handedly, this time shooed away a significant portion of this country’s FDI which would have given many Malaysians in the Klang area work in the proposed 14-storey hospital on a 2.5hectare area. The cowboyish antics of Klang Municipal councilors never seem to amaze Malaysians.

His belief in the supernatural forces apart, Mr Teh Kim Poh had no such coyness when he bulldozed his way into building a “Perpaduan” building with open air pit toilets on a children’s playground right in front of residents’ house at Southern Park, Klang three years ago despite all protests by residents affected with these plans.

Indeed even before a proper plan was up, Mr Teh Kim Poh accelerated the construction of the building. There was no menteri besar or Teh Kim Poh or MPK to listen to the residents grouses and eventually the courts came to the rescue of the residents. Till this day this decrepit building with its overgrown shrubs and open aired pit toilets directly facing resident’s homes on a pristine green playground has been hopelessly left abandoned being a constant danger for children playing in the vicinity and a dengue hazard whence it should have been demolished swiftly on the grounds of public safety.

Teh Kim Poh appears to show no remorse save hide behind the phrase “sudah jadi case mahkahmah”. His dreams of conducting cooking and aerobic lessons at his personalized “Perpaduan” building at the children’s playground appear now to have diminished.

What is sauce for the goose must be sauce for the gander and I believe a RM400million investment is something this town definitely would benefit and the Menteri Besar must seriously review his decision as this may negate efforts by our Trade Ministry in getting investments to come into Malaysia.

He should perhaps also review his association with the likes of Teh Kim Poh who appears to demonstrate a self-centered attitude quite predominant in many Malaysian politicians today which could prove perilous in the forthcoming general elections.

The other MPK councilors quite rightly must debate this decision and bring development to the people of Klang. And this they must do soon lest they are yet again caught in publicity nightmare not unlike the infamous Zakaria Deros affair.

(NST report “Plans for Klang hospital scrapped” by Neville Spykerman follows:

KLANG: Datuk Seri Mohamad Khir Toyo has pulled the plug on plans by an international conglomerate to build a RM400 million hospital in Teluk Gadung here.

Klang Municipal Council (MPK) councillor Datuk Dr Teh Kim Poo said residents in the area had appealed to the menteri besar for help.

He said residents in the area did not want to live in the shadow of a huge hospital.

“It’s bad feng shui and they feel the value of their homes will drop,” he said after the MPK full board meeting yesterday.

The project to build the 14-storey hospital, inclusive of a four-storey car park, at a 2.5 hectare site was initially given the green light by the MPK town planning committee earlier this month.

Dr Teh, who lives 500m from the site of the proposed 150-bed hospital, also said that Klang did not need an additional hospital.

“We already have the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital and several private hospitals and so there is no necessity to build a new one.”

However, not all MPK councillors at the meeting were pleased with the turn of events.

Mohd Raof Mokhtar, who is a member of the town planning committee which approved the project, said the case was setting a bad precedent.

“As long as the proposed hospital followed MPK building regulations and specifications, it should be allowed.”

He added that the project had its merits and councillors should have used their position to convince residents instead of the other way around.

Meanwhile, councillor Zainuri Zainal said the issue should have been settled in the council, instead of getting the menteri besar involved.

“It looks like a circus, with some parties instigating the public to
hold a protest and sending a memorandum.”

Councillor Roslinda Abdul Jamil said MPK needed to be firm instead of back tracking on earlier decisions.

MPK president Abd Bakir Zin agreed the decision to scrap the project would be a loss of foreign direct investment for Klang, but said all was not lost for the American investors who have purchased the land for the project.

“They still have the option of revising their building plans by scaling down the size of the hospital and resubmitting their proposal or build the hospital elsewhere.”