KPJ Healthcare Berhad

KPJ keen on overseas expansion

KPJ Healthcare Bhd is always on the lookout to expand operations internationally

KPJ Healthcare Bhd is always on the lookout to expand operations internationally if there are good opportunities and growth prospects, said its president and managing director Amiruddin Abdul Satar.

He said there were several options for the company to do that including acquiring stakes in hospitals or partnering with reliable parties.

"However, we are not rushing in doing things and will only consider the deal if it gives good return of investment to us and our shareholders," he said after the company AGM.

Amiruddin said while there were many opportunities for the company to acquire more hospitals overseas especially in the Asean region, Malaysia still offered good business to the group.

In the next three or four years, KPJ Healthcare would be focusing on the development of six new hospitals nationwide under the company's stable, he said. They are the Sabah Specialist Hospital, KPJ Pahang Specialist Hospital, KPJ Specialist Hospital Bandar Dato Onn Johor Baru, KPJ Perlis Specialist Hospital, KPJ Muar Specialist Hospital and Rawang Specialist Hospital.

"We are allocating between RM700mil and RM800mil which includes developing new hospitals, relocation and upgrading of existing facilities," added Amiruddin.

The company's corporate advisor Datin Paduka Siti Sa'diah Sheikh Bakir said it would continue to strengthen its position in the country's private healthcare segment.

She said competition was getting intense as more players including fornationwide under the company's stable, he said. They are the Sabah Specialist Hospital, KPJ Pahang Specialist Hospital, KPJ Specialist Hospital Bandar Dato Onn Johor Baru, KPJ Perlis Specialist Hospital, KPJ Muar Specialist Hospital and Rawang Specialist Hospital.

"We are allocating between RM700mil and RM800mil which includes developing new hospitals, relocation and upgrading of existing facilities," added Amiruddin.

The company's corporate advisor Datin Paduka Siti Sa'diah Sheikh Bakir said it would continue to strengthen its position in the country's private healthcare segment.

She said competition was getting intense as more players including foreign-based private healthcare providers were entering the Malaysian market.

Siti Sa'diah said competition, however, was good as it would help to increase the standard of the private healthcare services in the country and would place Malaysia in the radar of the international medical fraternity.

"Similarly, competition in the private healthcare segment in Iskandar Malaysia is also getting stiffer in years to come as more private hospitals are coming up in South Johor," she added.

Siti Sa'diah said despite its position as the largest private healthcare provider in the country, KPJ Healthcare would not rest on its laurels and would continue to work even harder to remain in the top position.

For the financial year ended Dec 31, 2012, KPJ Healthcare Bhd registered RM146.79mil net profit on RM2.09bil compared with RM154.25mil and RM1.9bil net profit and revenue respectively a year earlier.