Empty posts, crumbling clinics: Sarawak wants the power to fix its own healthcare

Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian says 160 of the state’s 271 Klinik Kesihatan, or 66 per cent, are classified as dilapidated. — Picture from Facebook/Sim Kui Hian

First Published: Saturday, 12 Sep 2026 1:36 PM MYT

KUCHING, Sept 12 — Sarawak is pushing for regulatory powers under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586) to be decentralised to the state Health Department (JKNS), said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.

He said the matter was among three key areas of Sarawak’s health autonomy that he raised on Friday’s Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Implementation Action Council meeting in Kota Kinabalu.

“The one that impacts most is the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 (Act 586),” he shared in his Facebook post.

He said the regulatory function should be decentralised to JKNS from the Ministry of Health (MOH), in line with the MOH White Paper and provisions under the Federal Constitution allowing such delegation of power.

Dr Sim also called for urgent action to address Sarawak’s shortage of health personnel, with 5,654 vacant posts currently under JKNS.

He said the vacancies accounted for 18 per cent of the state health workforce and staff were not only overworked but also facing burnout.

For the medium term, he proposed the creation of 11,000 posts across various categories to meet MOH staffing norms following an audit of seven Sarawak hospitals last year.

“There is no reason for Sarawak to be sub-standard in manpower,” he said.

On infrastructure, Dr Sim said Sarawak needed RM310 million to upgrade dilapidated Klinik Kesihatan (KK) facilities and RM8.45 billion for their redevelopment.

He said 160 of the state’s 271 KKs, or 66 per cent, were classified as dilapidated.

“There is no reason why Sarawak having more KK daif compared to the rest of Malaysia,” he said.

Dr Sim said health was among the more complex MA63 matters, involving 41 laws.

He said while some MA63 issues had been resolved, the remaining negotiations would be tougher as some involved constitutional amendments requiring approval at Cabinet and Parliament level and, in certain cases, the Conference of Rulers.

He said the negotiations must take into account the spirit of MA63, as well as the Cobbold Commission and Inter-Governmental Committee reports.

“MA63 is a journey. We shall move forward with courage, wisdom and the spirit of our founding fathers,” he said. — The Borneo Post

* Editor’s note: Daif in Malay, used in the quote above by Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, means dilapidated.