KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will hold public hearings for the first time, starting with an inquiry into healthcare financing and insurance costs.
In an interview with Utusan Malaysia published today, PAC chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the move aims to gather public feedback on rising medical insurance premiums and their impact on access to private healthcare.
The inquiry will also examine how the shift to government hospitals is affecting the public healthcare system, she added.
“When premiums are too high, people can no longer afford private healthcare.
“Many who previously went to private hospitals for minor illnesses are now turning to government facilities.
“So, are public hospitals able to cope? It’s no longer just the B40 group seeking treatment there, but also the M40,” she was quoted as saying.
Mas Ermieyati, who is also the Masjid Tanah MP, said the public hearing is part of a broader PAC review that includes scrutiny of Khazanah Berhad’s domestic investments and Kuala Lumpur land development under the Federal Territories Department and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
Other key issues under investigation in the current Dewan Rakyat session include airport management under the Finance Ministry and Malaysia Airports Berhad (MAHB), particularly the proposed procurement of electric trains.
“There will also be a proceeding on the 30-year lease procurement of electric trains worth RM10.7 billion under the Transport Ministry, Economic Ministry, Railway Asset Corporation, and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB),” she was quoted as saying.