Sabah opposition party, Warisan has raised concerns over the stalled construction of the Class 2 Clinic in Penampang, which has been delayed since the change of government in 2020.

A Class 2 Clinic in Malaysia is a government healthcare facility serving over 50,000 people, offering outpatient, maternal and child health, emergency, and diagnostic services.

Political secretary to Warisan’s deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking, Pritchard Arthur Gumbaris, said the clinic project was supposed to proceed after the Public Works Department’s (JKR) requirements were resolved during Warisan’s administration.

“The last issue with JKR was resolved under Warisan, but the tendering process was halted when the government changed in 2020,” he said.

Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) took power along with Barisan Nasional (BN) after defeating the Warisan-Plus alliance in the Sabah election in 2020.

He said Warisan had repeatedly raised the matter in both Parliament and the State Assembly, but the response was always that the project was “under process.”

“The state government has gone silent on the project, and neither the current Penampang MP nor the Kepayan assemblyman have made any statements about it,” he added.

Gumbaris stressed that the clinic is crucial for communities in Moyog and Kepayan, particularly with Queen Elizabeth Hospital I (QEH1) already facing congestion issues.

“Having this clinic to complement the existing Tuavon clinic will benefit many,” he said.

The delayed clinic project has been a longstanding issue for the close to 200,00 residents in Penampang.

Locals are calling for its immediate completion to ease the burden on hospitals in Kota Kinabalu. – January 10, 2025.