RAWANG, May 22 — Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said it was better for Selangor to enter the healthcare sector late than not at all, as the state seeks to strengthen its ecosystem and channel future profits back into public healthcare and welfare programmes.
Speaking at the officiating ceremony of Selgate Specialist Hospital (SSH) Rawang, he said profits generated from the healthcare industry should eventually be returned to the people through various state-backed initiatives.
“We do not want to stop at simply making profits from the healthcare business. The returns should be channelled back to the rakyat through public health programmes,” he said in his speech at SSH Rawang today.
Among other things, Amirudin said future profits from Selgate could help fund ambulance services, community treatment programmes, health screenings and other welfare initiatives, while also supporting the digitalisation and integration of Selangor’s healthcare ecosystem.
“This is an act of balance. We are trying to strike a balance between running the industry professionally and ensuring support reaches lower-income groups and those who need assistance.”
He also pointed out that Selangor only seriously began exploring the healthcare sector around 2017, later than several other states like Johor and Terengganu that has already developed their own hospitals.
“This may have been a late move by PKNS (Selangor State Development Corporation) and the state government. We only really started thinking about it around 2017.
“But it is still better for us to start late than to do nothing at all. At the very least, we can learn from others and improve what we have in Selangor.”
Amirudin said Selangor’s involvement in healthcare was not solely about building hospitals but also about creating a broader healthcare ecosystem focused on preventive care, health screenings, vaccinations and community health services.
Reminiscing on the state’s efforts, he noted that Selangor has introduced various healthcare programmes since 2016, including healthy lifestyle initiatives and later the Iltizam Selangor Sihat (ISS) programme, despite the sector not falling directly under state jurisdiction.
“We are trying to cultivate healthy practices, not just focus on treatment,” he said.
He also highlighted Selangor’s role during the Covid-19 pandemic, including mass public screenings and vaccine procurement efforts carried out through Selgate and related agencies.
He said Selgate has gradually expanded beyond hospital development by building healthcare networks, clinics and laboratories.
Among those present at today’s ceremony were Selgate group chief executive officer Datuk Noor Hisham Mohd Ghouth, state executive councillor for public health and environment Jamaliah Jamaluddin, and state executive councillor for youth, sports, and entrepreneurship Mohd Najwan Halimi.
