Negri neuroscience institute scrapped because of pandemic, says MB

Source: The Star

SEREMBAN: The plan to build the country's first Institute of Neuroscience (INS) in Pedas near here has been cancelled, says Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.

The Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar said the RM1.2bil project was scrapped following the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We decided to cancel it some time ago due to Covid-19.

"The groundbreaking ceremony was held before the outbreak but we decided to discontinue (construction) because of the pandemic," he told reporters after chairing the state exco meeting at Wisma Negri here on Wednesday (June 12).

The groundbreaking ceremony for the project, a joint venture between Mentri Besar Incorporated and KIT International Group Sdn Bhd, was carried out in November 2019.

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MBI provided a 4ha site for the project while KIT International Group was to have financed it.

The INS complex was to house a 200-bed private hospital specialising in neurosurgery, rehabilitation, training, research and development centres, a four-star hotel and a convention and commercial centre.

Aminuddin said the pandemic had greatly impacted the project although it already had a developer and partners.

"No one would have dared to continue with the project with the Covid-19 outbreak.

"We had no choice but to cancel it," he added.

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Aminuddin had said the project would also help promote medical tourism in Negri Sembilan which is home to some of the more popular beaches south of Kuala Lumpur as well as eco-tourism destinations.