Certain parties are "manipulating" erroneous details of the proposed 1Care healthcare plan to frighten the public, said Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai.

NONE"The matter has been manipulated to confuse the rakyat.

"The 10 percent (contribution from employees), for example, is being used to scare the people," he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.
                    
Liow explained that the total contribution would be from the government, the employer and the employees, and not a quantum solely to be borne by individual workers as alleged.

"That is false," he added, referring to the alleged salary cut.

Liow said this when asked whether Malaysia's multibillion ringgit healthcare industry would be asked to contribute to the cost of 1Care, since the people will have to foot part of the bill.

Liow reiterated that the proposed plan was still in the early stages and that details, as to who may contribute to the costs, were yet to be finalised.

"The plan is still with the technical committee. It has not even reached the ministry level yet," lamented Liow, adding that feedback from the people would be considered in the matter.

Information drive to address 'manipulation'

Asked if he planned to act against those behind this “manipulation”, he said the ministry was instead mounting an information campaign to address the situation.

The proposed healthcare plan earned brickbats from medical practitioners who disclosed details of the programme, expressing worries that 1Care may burden the people financially, despite potentially producing only substandard care.

The anti-1Care torch, which has spawned a TakNak1Care campaign, has been picked up by opposition parties, which call it another attempt at "piratisation" to enrich government cronies.

Among concerns raised is the purported 10 percent cut from the salaries of all workers to pay for the scheme.

This claim has raised alarm bells among the people, who are already suffering from subsidy cuts amidst the rising cost of living.