Kho Teck Wan urges PM for a fair budget

suppadmin | May 4, 2026

Political Secretary to the Premier, Kho Teck Wan, has called for a fair and balanced approach to federal budget rationalisation, warning that across the board cuts could further widen existing healthcare disparities in Sarawak.

Referring to recent assurances by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that expenditure rationalisation will not affect healthcare hiring or school capacity, Kho said concerns in Sarawak remain valid due to the state’s lower starting point.

She highlighted that Sarawak General Hospital, a 1,000 bed facility, should have about 5,500 staff based on national norms, but currently operates with around 4,500 personnel.

“This shortfall places additional strain on healthcare workers and inevitably affects service delivery,” she said, adding that Sarawak has historically lagged behind in both operational capacity and infrastructure provision.

Kho stressed that treating all regions equally in budget cuts would be unfair, as Sarawak requires greater support to catch up with better resourced regions.
She urged the Federal Government to adopt a differentiated approach, ensure sufficient allocations for Sarawak, and provide transparency on what constitutes non essential spending.

She also called on the Ministry of Health to expedite the implementation of Sarawak Health Autonomy, saying the state must be empowered to manage its own healthcare priorities more effectively.

“Fiscal discipline must not come at the cost of fairness and equitable development,” she said.