THE Balik Pulau township is set to have its first private specialist hospital after property developer MTT Properties & Development Sdn Bhd and Selgate Healthcare Sdn Bhd inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly realise the project.
MTT Properties & Development Sdn Bhd has allocated five acres of land in Bandar Baru Air Putih, Balik Pulau, for its first venture into healthcare.
MTT Group of Companies chairman Datuk Seri Kenny Ong said the partnership with Selgate Healthcare Sdn Bhd marked a historic milestone for MTT Group of Companies.
“The private specialist hospital will be able to provide quality healthcare to the township and the neighbouring communities at large. It will also enhance our first integrated aged care facility, Eden@Botanica CT, which will be launched later this year,” Kenny said in his speech at the signing ceremony at Evergreen Laurel Hotel today.
Kenny recollected the moments after he purchased the 300-acre land in Balik Pulau – over 15 years ago.
“Balik Pulau was quite undeveloped then. The previous landowner was my neighbour.
“After completing the Sale and Purchase Agreement, my wife and I redesigned the entire masterplan for the 300-acre land.
“There were a few must-haves in our masterplan. My wife wanted to have an international school while I wanted some commercial content,” he spoke about the currently matured garden township, Botanica.CT.
Kenny said the plan was also to include a retirement resort, which is now in the process of completion.
“Another main piece of the jigsaw was medical establishment. Looking at the demographics of Penang island, (most) private hospitals are situated in the northeast area.
“We only have the Balik Pulau Hospital in Balik Pulau.
“I believe that this private specialist hospital will bode well for the future of our township,” he said.
Among those present were Kenny’s wife Datin Seri Saisunee Ong, who is also the executive director of MTT Properties & Development Sdn Bhd, Balik Pulau MP Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang, Selgate Corporation Group chief executive officer Noor Hisham Mohd Ghouth, Selgate Healthcare Sdn Bhd Group senior general manager (healthcare managing director & chief executive officer) Dr Muaz Omar, MTT Group of Companies Group director of corporate strategy and legal affairs Elysa Ong, and MTT Properties & Development Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Khoo Teck Chong.
Noor Hisham welcomed MTT Properties & Development Sdn Bhd into its consortium of diverse and robust industry partners.
“Today’s signing ceremony for the development of a private specialist hospital in Bandar Baru Air Putih is exciting and is a significant event for us. It signifies the beginning of a mutually beneficial collaboration between both parties.
“Selgate envisions to be one of the leading private healthcare operators in Malaysia, and we are striving to provide quality healthcare that is affordable.
“This partnership marks a historic milestone for Selgate. It is part of our exercise to build capacity and capability by having a new stream of services to strengthen our financial footprint via diversification of our operations and thus revenue stream.
Noor Hisham said the company would operate seven hospitals with approximately 1,000 beds over the next five years.
“Selgate’s first hospital in Rawang is expected to be completed this year with more than 300 beds. We plan to open more Selgate hospitals in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor in the next few years,” he added.
Muhammad Bakhtiar said that the Balik Pulau Hospital is the only hospital in Balik Pulau which has been in existence since 1883.
“This hospital is 139 years old. The government hospital is in need of expansion with the ever-growing population in the southwest district of the Penang island.
“After I became the MP of Balik Pulau in 2018, I have written to the Minister of Health at that time and personally met him to convince the ministry and the Federal Government to expand the capacity of the district hospital which has only 81 beds. This includes the male and female wards, pediatric ward, and the maternity ward.
“I vehemently requested for a full-fledged hospital which includes an operation theatre, intensive care unit, high-dependency unit and so on. However, due to the lack of funds and not sensing our urgency, our wait for a full-fledged government hospital in Balik Pulau will be much longer.
“For me, there should be no reason for any patient to be transported from Balik Pulau to the Penang Hospital, which is about 45 minutes away, in any cases of emergency,” Muhammad Bakhtiar said in his energetic speech.
He added: “Frustrated with the response by the ministry, I remembered chatting with MTT Properties & Development Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Khoo Teck Chong, stating the need for a proper private hospital.”
“I have suggested a few names for the company to collaborate with.
“Honestly, I thought that he had forgotten about this. But today’s event has proven that Khoo and the MTT team have not only stuck to their words, but most importantly, saw the importance of having a proper medical facility for the people of Penang, particularly for the residents of Balik Pulau,” he said.
Muhammad Bakhtiar said he was confident that the setting up of the private specialist hospital would help to ease the congestion of the government hospital, and to provide an alternative to the residents who wish to receive immediate medical treatment.
“The private specialist hospital, which will be built, plays a major role in providing quality healthcare service to the community. Allow me to applaud the MTT team for its success with Botanica.CT which has been proven to be an iconic project.
“Congratulations MTT and Selgate for this collaboration,” he said.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who was present to witness the MoU signing ceremony, said the state government is in support of the private specialist hospital which would also complement MTT’s latest venture in an aged care facility, Eden@Botanica CT.
“It is encouraging to see players such as MTT Properties and Selgate Healthcare are building new bridges together to perpetuate key ideas of the Penang2030 initiatives.
“I am delighted that the private sector continues to support the state by incorporating and putting ‘policy-thinking’ ideas into practice.
“There is a growing demand for high-quality, low-cost healthcare facilities, particularly in Balik Pulau.
“Penang’s population is aging. As the state continues to become an aging state, the pressure on the provision of good healthcare services will continue to grow. Penang’s population is expected to double over the next 10 years and the demand for good healthcare services and facilities will continue to rise,” he said.
Chow said the initiative by 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 is no such private healthcare facility in the area.
“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 of Malaysia 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. Penang was named as the ‘Most Established State in Healthcare Travel’,” Chow added.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad
Video by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis