5G technology is safe, says Deputy Premier

KUCHING (Aug 22): There is no confirmed evidence that the 5G network is hazardous to human health, said Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.

The Minister for Public Health, Housing, and Local Government said the Sarawak government had invested and disbursed a huge fund to boost network coverage and that no government would want to implement any development projects that were harmful to its people.

“If the 5G network is indeed harmful, people would get sick and go to hospitals.

“The government will then have to spend more to take care of patients, and this makes no sense for us to implement something that will be harmful to the people,” said Dr Sim during the Sarawak Multimedia Authority’s town hall session here yesterday.

The state government, he said, already had to shoulder the maintenance cost for dilapidated schools at around RM5 billion, and also for dilapidated hospitals and clinics, where the repair costs could go as high as RM17 billion.

“Life is priceless and the government has an obligation to take care of people’s health,” he said, in clearing the misconception of 5G technology and its effects on health.

“If this 5G technology is indeed dangerous, why do people still use handphones? Use 2G hand phones which are still available instead.

Such misconception, he said, was due to one’s lack of knowledge and understanding of the technology.

“The older generations will benefit the most from this 5G technology as they will know beforehand their blood pressure and sugar level, or if they need to seek treatment for certain illness even before going to the pharmacy or see a doctor,” he said.

This latest technology, he added, would ensure timely interventions using devices equipped with health monitoring sensors that are connected to the 5G networks.