PUTRAJAYA – Former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin has high hopes that the endeavours kickstarted during his tenure will be continued by his successor, Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
Among Khairy’s legacies during his time as health minister was the health white paper expected to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat later this year prior to the dissolution of Parliament on October 10.
“I have discussed the matter (of the health white paper) with (Dr Zaliha). It is important that the paper is brought to Parliament to reform our healthcare system for the long term.
“If there is no reform (of our healthcare system), we might not have enough resources to handle the spread of diseases in the coming years,” he warned.
Khairy said this when speaking to reporters after a symbolic handing-over ceremony at the Health Ministry here today.
In March, Khairy said that among other things, the white paper aims to strengthen the health system as a whole to ensure services are more equitable, of high quality, accessible, and affordable in the long term.
When he was questioned then on the feasibility of the white paper’s implementation if there was a change in government, Khairy said that it is his aim to make the document “future-proof”.
Besides that, the former Rembau MP said today that he also hopes the tobacco generational endgame (GEG) bill is eventually tabled in Parliament, especially since the proposed amendments have been brought to a parliamentary special select committee (PSSC) for fine tuning.
“Yes, it was scrutinised by the PSSC under the previous administration, but some MPs who were part of the committee then are still MPs now.
“It is a bill that reflects the considerations of all parties,” he asserted.
The final update on the bill prior to Parliament’s dissolution was on October 6. The PSSC had amended the bill to carry a maximum fine of RM500 – instead of the originally proposed RM5,000 – for those born in 2007 onwards caught buying or smoking tobacco products.
The bill, which was tabled for its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat by Khairy on July 27, seeks to prohibit those born on and after January 1, 2007, from purchasing or possessing cigarettes or vape products.
It was reported on December 8 that Dr Zaliha, who is also the Sekijang MP, intends to review the GEG policy in terms of its implementation through the Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking Bill 2022. - The Vibes, December 12, 2022
