Kuala Lampur, March 4 -- Dear YB Sim,

I watched with interest - and no small measure of disappointment - your remarks in Parliament questioning why private hospitals are "excessively" charging for gloves and masks.

It is an easy talking point, one that plays well to the gallery, but it reduces a complex, capital-intensive, and highly regulated industry to the price of a disposable item.

If you are truly concerned about hospital charges, let me ask: What about everything else?

What about nurses, the backbone of healthcare? When there weren't enough, we trained them.

When other countries offer better pay, we raise salaries to stop the brain drain. No subsidies, no financial incentives - just hospitals absorbing the cost of keeping Mala...