A Case Of Moh Throwing An Extravagant Raya Open House But Stinges On Healthcare Workers Welfare

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IT all started with so-called fans of Datuk Siti Nurhaliza trolling MalaysiaKini for one-sided reporting after the famed songstress claimed that she performed for free at the Health Ministry’s (MOH) Raya open house on Tuesday (April 22) as a mark of appreciation to the sacrifices of doctors and nurses out there.
This follows the news portal’s report of intense online bashing on the Facebook page of Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad that the MOH’s Raya open house featured top artistes who included Siti Nurhaliza and Malaysia’s very own King of Pop Datuk Jamal Abdillah.

A group of traditional Malay dancers were also seen performing on stage at the event which was also attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
With budget constraints having prevented it from expanding its manpower base leading to many doctors and nurses experiencing extreme fatigue due to long working hours and high workload, it is little wonder that healthcare workers and their sympathisers have an axe to grind with the MOH.
While Siti Nurhaliza has fumed at what she described as misreporting for she attended the MOH event as “a guest as opposed to the capacity of an artiste”, many sensible netizens consoled her that the criticism was not directed at her per se but to MOH for their lavish spending “amid facing budget constraints”.

“Nobody is questioning TokTi (one of her monikers) but only MOH’s top management as to why the event as a whole was extravagant while healthcare workers always faced budget restrictions,” justified one netizen.

“Did Datuk Jamal and Mila (Jirin) who performed with back-up dancers also did so for free? Who is paying for the venue, sound systems and lighting?”
To a claim by a commenter that the expenses for the event could have been borne by sponsorships given that MOH “has links with numerous medical suppliers”, the netizen rebutted then why not “proceeds from the sponsorship are shared with low-ranking staff”?
“Staff at this level are faced with poor facilities, increasingly strict on call allowance claims, budget cuts for management/programmes, hence is it still a wise move for MOH to hold such a lavish banquet?” he further questioned.

Even on Siti Nurhaliza’s FB post, one commenter assured her that “the anger is directed at MOH”.
“How do they know that the MOH doesn’t pay TokTi and Tok Jamal? When they see famous artists, they must be thinking ‘wow! MOH spends money on expensive artists while throwing lavish parties’. But the salary aspect of hospital staff is left in a miserable state.”

Another also rationalised that netizens “don’t have a problem” with Siti Nurhaliza but are “only disputing the MOH’s financial management which is currently in a state of turmoil”.
“How can you hold grand events like this yet thrifts on staff’s on-call and OT claims?” she remarked. “Plus, PMX has already banned holding any grand events among government employees to avoid wastage. ”

At the end of the day, one seemingly pro-Madani voice reckoned that that MOH “is filled with many walaun and waluantit (slang for staunch male and female PAS supporters) who are merely making a mountain out of a molehill”.
“Just leave if you don’t like your employer,” he hit out. “Nobody is forcing you to stay. There are many sincere people with pure hearts who need jobs.” – Focus Malaysia

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