Speech by the Chief Minister of Penang

At The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Signing Ceremony

Between MTT Properties & Development Sdn. Bhd. (MTTPSB)

And Selgate Properties Sdn. Bhd. (SPSB)

 

17 February 2022

Evergreen Laurel Hotel, Penang

 

 

YB Dato’ Muhammad Bakhtiar bin Wan Chik

Member of Parliament of Balik Pulau

 

YB Haji Mohd Tuah bin Haji Ismail

State Assemblyman of Pulau Betong

 

Dato’ Ar. Yew Tung Seang

Datuk Bandar Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP)

 

Dato’ Seri Kenny Ong

Group Chairman of MTT Group of Companies

 

Encik Noor Hisham bin Mohd Ghouth

Group Chief Executive Officer of Selgate Corporation

Datin Seri Saisunee Ong

Executive Director of MTT Properties & Development Sdn Bhd

 

Dr. Muaz Omar

Group Senior General Manager, Healthcare Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Selgate Healthcare Sdn Bhd

 

Ms Elysa Ong

Group Director of Corporate Strategy and Legal Affairs of MTT Group of Companies

 

Mr Khoo Teck Chong

Chief Executive Officer, MTT Properties & Development Sdn Bhd

All Invited Guests

Members of the press

Ladies & Gentlemen

 

A very good morning to all.

I am honoured to be present today to witness the official signing ceremony of the MOU between MTT Properties & Development Sdn Bhd and Selgate Healthcare Sdn Bhd to develop a Private Specialist Hospital at Botanica. CT township in Balik Pulau.

As mentioned by Dato Seri Kenny Ong earlier, we are in support of the new Specialist Hospital which will also complement MTT’s latest venture in an aged care facility by Eden in the same vicinity.

It is encouraging to see, players such as MTT Properties and Selgate Healthcare, building new bridges together to perpetuate key ideas of the Penang2030 initiative, namely increasing liveability to enhance quality of life which entails family welfare and access to quality healthcare for all. I am delighted that the private sector continues to support the state by incorporating such initiatives and putting ideas of policy thinking into practice.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Throughout its 50-year industrialization journey, Penang has consistently been ranked among the top investment destinations in the country. We are poised for more job opportunities as the leader in manufacturing activities and the growth centre for northern Malaysia, which will undoubtedly increase the population in Penang. As a result, there is a growing demand for high-quality, low-cost health-care facilities, particularly in Balik Pulau.

In addition to that, Penang's population is ageing. The median age has risen from 29.6 in 2010 to 31.6 in 2017. As Penang continues to become an ageing nation, the pressure on the provision of good healthcare services will continue to build. The state’s population is also expected to double over the next 10 years and the demand for good healthcare services and facilities will continue to rise.

Therefore, the initiative of the private sector to invest in private healthcare services is invaluable. The establishment of a private specialist hospital, particularly in Balik Pulau, is unquestionably necessary, as there are currently no such private healthcare facilities the area.

Residents of Balik Pulau, as well as citizens from neighbouring areas, will be able to conveniently and confidently access quality and affordable private healthcare services right at their doorstep. The private specialist hospital will be surrounded by Balik Pulau’s lush greenery, providing patients with an ideal, interactive and serene environment in which to recuperate. This will further enhance the overall value of this mixed development project, which is in line with Penang2030 vision of ‘A Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation’.

On top of that, I am confident that the addition of this private hospital to the 18 existing private hospitals will further solidify our position as the top destination in our country's Healthcare Travel Industry. According to the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Industry Blueprint 2021-2025, Penang leads the way in healthcare travel revenue, earning RM750 million from 500,000 patients who flew to the state in 2019 and being named the "Most Established State in Healthcare Travel."

Having said that, I look forward establishment of this hospital which will contribute significantly to the economy and the people of Penang.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank MTT Properties & Development Sdn Bhd and Selgate Healthcare for their contributions to the state's agenda of improving our welfare and care systems, and I wish them both every success for this meaningful project.

Thank you.