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KUCHING, April 6 – A growing wave of online outrage has sparked a petition demanding an apology and resignation from Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong, following her controversial accusations against the Sarawak Heart Centre.
The petition, hosted on Change.org under the title “Defend Our Doctor—Demand Apology and Resignation from Violet Yong”, accuses Yong of making baseless and misleading claims that disrespected the dedication of medical professionals at the facility.
Initiated by a user identified as Zwen 87, the petition criticises Yong for what it describes as irresponsible social media statements that damaged public trust and undermined hardworking frontliners. As of Saturday evening, the petition had already gathered over 660 signatures, with numbers continuing to rise.
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The petition reads:
“YB Yong’s accusations not only insulted our healthcare heroes, but also confused the public about how our healthcare system actually works. The Sarawak Heart Centre has been responding swiftly and professionally despite staff shortages.”
Instead of advocating for healthcare reforms, it claims Yong unfairly targeted medical staff, particularly during the busy Hari Raya Aidilfitri period.
In response to Yong’s claims that a patient allegedly waited nearly 20 hours to see a cardiologist, the Sarawak Health Department (JKNS) issued a public clarification. According to the official statement, the patient arrived at 1am on March 29 and was seen by an emergency officer within 10 minutes. A cardiology officer later reviewed the patient during morning rounds, after attending to a critical case.
JKNS firmly denied allegations that there were no cardiologists on duty during the festive period, labelling Yong’s statements as inaccurate and damaging.
Meanwhile, health news portal CodeBlue reported that many doctors within the Ministry of Health (MOH) also condemned Yong’s remarks, adding fuel to the growing online backlash.
As of now, Violet Yong has yet to respond publicly to the official clarification or the online petition.