MCA division gets rousing applause for foundation’s work

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IT IS better to give than to receive and for Ipoh folks, this adage rang true when they turned out in full support for the Ipoh Barat MCA division charity dinner.

Filling the Lido Restaurant to the brim, the 1,000-strong crowd was there in support of the 1MCA Medical Foundation, which aims to extend a helping hand to those in dire need of financial aid for medical treatment, surgery or medicine.

Division chief Datuk Tan Chin Meng handed over a mock cheque of RM208,880 to party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who received it on behalf of the foundation.

Talented ones: Young performers dancing on stage at the event.

Earlier in his speech, Dr Chua said certain quarters had called on MCA to secure allocations from the Federal Government and not raise funds on its own as they claimed it was the Government’s responsibility to take care of its people’s welfare.

“While it is acknowledged as a responsibility, there is, in fact, not a single government in the world that can handle all the medical needs of its citizens.

“Even in developed countries such as Britain and the United States, their citizens rely on other avenues such as health insurance and their personal finances to meet their immediate medical needs,” he said.

He said the Government had always taken care of the people’s needs by providing affordable medical treatment at government hospitals.

“Malaysia is one of the few countries where you can receive medical consultation for as low as RM1 and get medication for free although it actually costs RM120.

“All this is borne by the Government,” he added.

Dr Chua said he estimated that the Health Ministry’s expenditure would reach RM130bil next year, whereas the earnings from patients would not even exceed RM5bil.

Helping hand: Dr Chua (second from right) receiving the mock cheque from Ipoh Barat MCA division chief Datuk Tan Chin Meng (second from left) together with other members of the 1MCA Medical Foundation at the charity dinner.

“That is why we need to appreciate what the Government is doing, and to complement its efforts,” he said, to thunderous applause from the crowd.