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Aborted IJN takeover a victory for People Power

Civil society, Development issues, Health care, Neo-liberal economics 13 Responses »

Jan 072009

Sime Darby’s decision to call off its takeover of the government-owned National Heart Institute (IJN) is a stunning victory for People Power.

The rakyat have spoken. Ordinary people, through their vocal opposition to the proposal, have defeated a plan put forward by the largest oil palm plantation firm in the world, which is also one of Malaysia’s most powerful conglomerates.

In a poll on this blog of over 800 respondents, 96 per cent of you were against the takeover, reflecting widespread public opposition to the move.

What Sime Darby was eyeing in IJN

Health care, Malaysian finance/business, Neo-liberal economics Comments Off

Dec 202008

The government-owned National Heart Institute (IJN) is in the midst of a RM230 million expansion plan – that would be public money – to buy more equipment and to build a new wing, which would be completed next year.

This from The Edge:

The new wing would give it an additional 192 beds, four new operating theatre complexes, new intensive care units and coronary care units, dialysis centre, health screening centres, cafes and shops, according to the website.

Apparently, the plan was for Sime Darby to ride on IJN’s reputation, painstakingly built by the government and the IJN team over the years, and its “captive market” as a base to draw more patients – locally and from the region (medical tourism) – possibly into a private wing.

From another Edge report:
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IJN privatisation postponed: Umno elite out of touch

Accountability, Health care, Neo-liberal economics, Poverty 33 Responses »

Dec 192008

The sudden postponement of the scheme to privatise the National Heart Institute (IJN) suggests that the government under-estimated the depth of public opposition to the move.

The postponement comes just a day after Najib revealed that the green light had been given to Sime Darby to acquire a majority stake.

The Umno elite appear to be out of touch not only with the masses but also with their own BN component parties such as the MCA, which is opposing the privatisation. Or were they just testing the waters (to gauge public reaction), as some of you suggest?

To me, the real heroes are the 33 IJN specialists (out of a total of 35) who stood up to oppose the move. Their stand is all the more commendable as chances are they would have stood to gain in terms of a more lucrative pay package. It is great to know there are public-spirited specialists in Malaysia, for whom money is not everything – something which the corporate predators find hard to understand.