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Borneo Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Dialogue session successfully addresses Sibu Jaya residents' concerns, says SRDC deputy chairman
Wong (seated fifth right) and others in a photo session. SIBU (July 28): The Sibu Jaya Community Dialogue Session held on Saturday saw enthusiastic participation from residents, reflecting a strong community interest in local affairs. Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) deputy chairman Wong Ching Yong said the initiative was a step in the right direction as it not only strengthened interactions between the residents and local councils, but also laid a strong foundation for future community improvements. The dialogue held at 5A, Lorong Sibu Jaya 20-I and was organised by the Sarawak United People's Party Sibu Jaya branch. Wong, who is also SUPP Dudong chairman, engaged directly with the public, listening to their views and suggestions regarding development and public concerns in the Sibu Jaya area. 'This event helps build communication bridges between the council and residents, promoting more inclusive and responsive local governance.' Wong said during the dialogue, residents raised several topics, including issues related to stray dogs, clogged drains, and water supply shortages and council representatives took note of these concerns and responded on the spot, assuring attendees that they would coordinate with relevant departments to work toward resolving the issues. Wong said: 'The people's voices are crucial in shaping our policies. We deeply appreciate everyone's candid sharing and welcome more residents to join future dialogues as we build a more liveable Sibu Jaya together.' He said similar engagements would continue to be organised, with enhanced promotion and follow-up mechanisms to ensure public concerns are effectively addressed. Also present were SUPP Sibu Jaya branch chairman Kapitan Kong Sing Ping, Pemanca Paing Tawi, and political secretary to the Premier, William Anut. community dialogue session lead sibu jaya Wong Ching Yong
Borneo Post
12-07-2025
- Health
- Borneo Post
SUPP's Wong urges fed govt to address healthcare crisis in Malaysia
Wong Ching Yong. – Photo by Peter Boon SIBU (July 12): Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) Dudong branch chairman Wong Ching Yong has called on the federal government, particularly the Minister of Health, to take immediate and concrete action to resolve Malaysia's deepening public healthcare crisis. Wong, who is also SUPP Central Assistant Information and Publicity Secretary, attributed the worsening crisis to a chronic nationwide shortage of doctors. He stressed that the root causes include overworked and underpaid medical personnel, a lack of transparency in career progression and contract confirmations, unfulfilled government promises, and systemic neglect. 'The Health Minister (Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad) must honour the promises made to healthcare professionals, starting with the overdue increase in on-call allowances. On this, Wong also urged Sibu's two Members of Parliament, Alice Lau (Lanang) and Oscar Ling (Sibu), both from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), not to neglect their duties in Parliament and within the federal government. 'If they truly care about the people's welfare, they should prioritise resolving the crisis doctors facing in the public sector instead of remaining idle,' he stressed. While acknowledging some progress in the doctor-to-patient ratio, from 1:758 in 2012 to 1:412 in 2022, Wong warned that such figures mask a more severe issue: a critical shortage of specialists and a worrying decline in the intake of junior doctors. He cited alarming figures, where Malaysia currently faces a shortfall of nearly 11,000 specialists in the public healthcare system. That number is projected to exceed 14,000 within the next five years, he cautioned. 'Overall, we only have about 40 per cent of the specialists we need. How can we not be concerned?' he asked. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of housemanship appointments dropped by 47 per cent, he noted, signalling a shrinking pool of new doctors entering the public healthcare sector. The situation becomes even more dire when broken down by medical disciplines, he pointed out. 'For example, cardiothoracic surgery only has 18 per cent of the required specialists, while oncology is at 31 per cent. These numbers are simply terrifying,' Wong said. He also pointed out that brain drain remains a pressing issue, with more than 5,000 Malaysian doctors having left for better opportunities abroad over the past decade. In addition, up to 15 per cent of young medical graduates choose to remain overseas or never return to serve in Malaysia's healthcare system, he bemoaned. 'From 2019 to 2023, a total of 6,417 doctors resigned from government hospitals and clinics, including 1,046 specialists,' Wong observed. Among the key reasons for the exodus are unclear career pathways, lower salaries compared to other countries, and excessive workloads, he noted. Although the federal government has amended medical legislation to establish clearer training routes for specialists, Wong said the implementation has been slow and lacks transparency. 'This is precisely why both Sibu MPs must not remain silent. They must push for accountability and oversight.' He reminded both DAP lawmakers not to treat the challenges faced by public healthcare professionals as niche or isolated issues. 'This is not a problem for doctors alone. It is a national health crisis.' doctor shortage federal government healthcare Wong Ching Yong
Borneo Post
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Sibu SUPP branches launch incentive to boost Form 6 Chinese language enrolment
Wong says the launching of the programme will take place at the branch's office on Jalan Aman here on July 5 at 2pm. – Photo by Peter Boon SIBU (July 4): The Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) Dudong and Sibu Jaya branches have jointly introduced an incentive programme in an effort to attract more students to take up Form 6 Chinese Language. SUPP Dudong chairman Wong Ching Yong said the launching of the programme will take place at the branch's office on Jalan Aman here tomorrow (July 5) at 2pm. 'SUPP Dudong and SUPP Sibu Jaya will award the first round of incentives to Form 6 students currently taking the subject,' he said in a statement. According to him, Form 6 Chinese Language enrolment has witnessed a sharp decline over the past few decades. 'The number of candidates has plunged from over 3,000 in the 1980s to fewer than 300 in 2024 – a drop of over 90 per cent – raising serious concerns within the education community. 'We hope this incentive programme will rekindle students' passion for Chinese education and help them see Form 6 Chinese Language as not merely as an academic option, but as a pathway connecting cultural heritage with public service,' he said. Chinese language lead Sibu SUPP Wong Ching Yong
Free Malaysia Today
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
PDP-SUPP feud won't affect GPS election chances, says academic
A compromise between PDP and SUPP is likely to be negotiated behind closed doors, according to a political analyst. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The recent spat between state government coalition partners Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) and Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) will not jeopardise the re-election chances of the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak, according to an academic. James Chin of the University of Tasmania said the dispute was mainly a fight between PDP president Tiong King Sing and SUPP president Dr Sim Kui Hian, both attempting to expand their parties' influence. James Chin. It was 'highly unlikely' that opposition parties would be able to capitalise on the feud, Chin said, as the constituencies fought over by the two parties are not part of the opposition parties' voter bases. 'Ba'kelalan is a Orang Ulu area, while Engkilili and Bawang Assan are Dayak-majority areas,' he told FMT. He said PDP 'has been emboldened' with the admission of members from the now-dissolved Parti Sarawak Bersatu into the party and was now 'trying to expand their foothold in Sarawak' by going after SUPP seats, traditionally in urban Chinese areas. PDP has traditionally been in Dayak areas. In the 2021 state election, Tiong was fielded by GPS and won in Dudong, a traditional SUPP seat, causing much ire within SUPP. Tensions have spiked between the two parties, with SUPP's Dudong chief Wong Ching Yong declaring it an 'open conflict' on Monday. Last year, three assemblymen from PSB joined PDP, taking with them three traditional SUPP seats. PSB, led by Wong Soon Koh until its dissolution, is a splinter of SUPP. After joining PDP, Wong was subsequently named its vice-president. Chin said PBB, the largest party in GPS, would not intervene in this dispute and may even 'watch what is happening with glee'. Awang Azman Pawi. However, socio-political analyst Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya said PBB would not allow the spat to last too long and will negotiate a closed-door compromise between the two parties. He said PDP seeks Engkilili, Bawang Assan and Ba'kelalan because they believe SUPP has failed to gain ground in the first two seats, and PDP has also done a lot of groundwork among the Lun Bawang and other ethnic communities in Ba'kelalan. Awang Azman said the allocation of these seats will be dependent on each party's past performance and contribution to GPS, as well as their acceptance by the grassroots. Chin said it is too early to know which party will be fielded in these seats as seat negotiations have not started, but added that GPS has usually allowed the incumbent parties to recontest their seats.
Free Malaysia Today
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
It's now an open conflict between SUPP and PDP, says leader
Dudong SUPP chief Wong Ching Yong said the party stands to lose its political strongholds if it continues to adopt a soft and courteous stance with its ally. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : The conflict between the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) and the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) is now an open confrontation, according to a leader of one of the parties. Dudong SUPP chief Wong Ching Yong said the party's six divisions in Sibu must close ranks and collectively fend off attempts by their Gabungan Parti Sarawak ally to undermine any of them. 'Continuing to adopt a soft, courteous stance would only weaken SUPP's position further, possibly leading to the loss of its political strongholds. 'This is precisely why all six Sibu branches must close ranks and do everything we can to safeguard our presence and relevance here,' he said, according to The Borneo Post. PDP and SUPP leaders have clashed multiple times in recent years, particularly after PDP accepted Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) leaders and members en bloc last year. PSB, led by Wong Soon Koh until its dissolution, is a splinter of SUPP. Last week, PDP president Tiong King Sing claimed that an unnamed politician had interfered in the election of the Sibu Chinese Community Leaders Association's committee members, ordering all PDP members to withdraw from the association. Tiong did not name the party or the leader, but hinted that it might be a party associated with PDP by questioning whether the party in question would be able to win future elections on its own 'without the support of allied parties'. Tiong, a vice-chairman of GPS, is also the assemblyman for Dudong, located in Sibu.
