'Save IJN' campaign in cyberspace

An arrow stuck in a bleeding heart aptly captures opposition by the blogging community to a proposal to privatise the National Heart Institute (IJN by its Malay acronym).

The ‘Save IJN’ logo has appeared on several blogs since Jan 3, as part of a growing campaign against the proposal that is currently being reviewed by the government.

Others who have endorsed the campaign include members of parliament, opinion makers and concerned citizens such as a lawyer and mother of two from Putrajaya.

The logo was created by a blogger who uses the pseudonym apanama and whose message is blunt: “Don’t kill IJN.”

Among those who have picked up on the logo is blogger Ahirudin Attan of Rocky’s Bru.

When contacted, he said the purpose of displaying the logo on his blog-spot is to “spread the word” in the blogging community and “increase attention for the issue by a few notches”.

PKR’s Wangsa Maju parliamentarian Wee Choo Keong has also placed the logo on his blog site.

Asked if the campaign would be turned into a more organised one, he said: “Nothing concrete has been decided. Right now, we are only campaigning in cyberspace.”

However, he pledged to raise the issue when Parliament reconvenes next month.

Different reasons have prompted support for the campaign, in particular the concern that poor patients may not be able to afford the ‘privatised’ scale of fees.

However, all the bloggers share the sentiment that conglomerate Sime Darby Bhd - which submitted the proposal - should consider operating its own heart centre and leave IJN alone.

‘Blame the consultants’

A check of blog-sites revealed that those opposed to the proposal come from a diverse background and include such personalities as Marina Mahathir and former Selangor Chief Minister Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.

Khir Toyo wrote that fingers should not be pointed at the cabinet, but at consultants who had suggested the idea to the government.

“We need to ask: Who are the consultants? And how much profit is set to be gained by if the effort is successful?” he asked in a posting.

A number of bloggers have, however, only pasted the logo on their sites without expressing an opinion on the issue.

Asked to comment on this, Ahirudin said use of the logo is sufficient to indicate a show of support.

Wee added to this: “You never know how many hits the site will get. Don’t underestimate cyber- space.”

On Dec 18, the government agreed in principle to Sime Darby’s proposal to buy a stake in IJN Holdings Sdn Bhd, which manages the heart institute.

Public opposition to the proposal forced the cabinet into a rapid U-turn.

On Dec 19, deputy premier Najib Abdul Razak said the deal has been put on hold until an in-depth study is conducted by the relevant ministries.

The institute was carved out of the Kuala Lumpur general hospital in 1992. Specialising in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, it has provided speedy, efficient and affordable treatment.

LATEST Meanwhile in a related development, Sime Darby announced later in the day that it has pulled out from acquiring a stake in IJN.

It said that it arrived at this decision after considering public sentiments against the move.