Buckingham praises GRS government
Published on: Fri, Jun 13, 2025
By: Sherell Jeffrey Text Size: Princess Anne and Hajiji. Kota Kinabalu: The GRS State Government led by Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, particularly the State Finance Ministry, was praised by Buckingham Palace for the initiative to erect clear signages on both wings of arguably the earliest, modern and among the best medical institutions in Borneo and the nation – Hospital Queen Elizabeth. Accompanying the signages were the erection of a historical gallery detailing highlights of the hospital since its inception in 1957 at a cost of 2.5 million pounds sterling funded by British taxpayers and premiere of a special documentary titled 'The Queen's Hospital in Borneo' for Youtube.
Advertisement Princess Anne, in her capacity as President of The Duke of Edinburgh's Commonwealth Study Conferences, expressed appreciation for the endeavour. 'The hospital has provided essential medical treatment for more than 60 years and also trained countless doctors and medical specialists, ensuring the people of Sabah receive the best medical care the Government can offer,' Princess Anne said in her message, which was read during the ceremony at the premises, Thursday. 'I was pleased to be reminded of my visit to Kota Kinabalu in 1972 with my parents and to hear about the impact of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital on the local people of Sabah,' she said. Princess Anne acknowledged the project's importance, noting that the initiative, led by the Commonwealth Association of Leadership Malaysia (Calm), would ensure that the hospital's name remains a visible landmark and a beacon for health services in Malaysian Borneo. 'The initiative led by Calm, the hospital's administration, the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the project funder, the Sabah Minister of Finance, reminds us of the warm relations that the United Kingdom and Malaysia enjoy as members of the Commonwealth and highlights the importance of collaboration, service and shared heritage,' she said. Daily Express, Sabah's leading newspaper, was a strategic partner. Credit is also due to the Sabah Archive and the Information Department. The hospital that has undergone major upgrades was named after the late British monarch after the colonial administration approached her Majesty's permission in 1956 and it was granted. Two other renowned hospitals named after the Queen are in Hong Kong and Perth, Australia. It started with just 140 beds under a single matron, a single nurse tutor who trained the first batch of 17 nurses, 34 medical assistants and two church Sisters. Today, this has expanded since to 775 beds and the past 70 years has seen the many new types of treatment being possible from its highly trained medical staff. State Finance Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said he had no hesitation to accord the State Government's backing for the initiative, when approached by CALM. He said he and others only had many nostalgic memories of the hospital. He acknowledged there would always be those who question the retention of colonial-era names, but that it is high time these people realise and accept that history can never be erased. 'Sometimes we are too obsessed with these matters. Instead, we should be asking how we can make this hospital better, not its name. The name reflects history, but what is needed is how you make this hospital's services improve from day to day. We should depart from this mentality of giving so much emphasis on form rather than substance. 'We cannot escape from history that once upon a time we were a British colony,' he said, noting that he was a successful product of the British school system and even oversaw the centenary celebration of colonial rule during Berjaya era in 1981 while serving as Tuaran District Officer. The British presence in North Borneo as it was known then dates back to 1881 with the beginning of Chartered Company rule. 'We have to accept our history as a form of education which makes us more knowledgeable humans,' he said, and thanked CALM, especially its President Yap Li Ling for spearheading the commendable effort. He was also full of praise for the hospital's workforce, describing Malaysian healthcare workers serving in Sabah as the best in the country. 'I am very proud to say as a Sabahan, some of the most dedicated people, the frontliners, are those working in hospitals and forever we are thankful to all those serving in Sabah's hospitals past and present,' he said, acknowledging also their dedication during the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Today we are actually looking back and writing the history of this hospital again, looking at its current state and looking forward with hope for additional facilities and amenities. 'We take a small step to show history, but this small step hopefully will bring goodness and great happiness for us to be proud of in the future,' he said. Masidi acknowledged the hospital's ongoing parking problems, which also affect the Sabah Women and Children's Hospital in Likas. 'This parking problem is an issue and challenge that needs to be addressed quickly,' he said, adding that the matter has been raised repeatedly in State Cabinet meetings. He said Sabah Health Exco Datuk James Ratib would meet with relevant parties in Kuala Lumpur to expedite solutions to this persistent problem. 'I also fully support the suggestions made by State Health Deputy Director (Medicine) Datuk Dr Abd Kahar Abd Asis for one more block at QEH. I will fully support it and will speak to the Prime Minister and Federal Finance Minister to accelerate funding for this new construction and a multi-storey parking facility. Also present were Queen Elizabeth Hospital Director Dr William Gotulis and Sabah Publishing House Deputy General Manager Dexter Yeh, among others. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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