COLUMBIA ASIA Hospital Batu Kawan, the first hospital in Bandar Cassia, is set to significantly enhance healthcare access for residents and workers on the mainland, while strengthening Batu Kawan’s position as a fast-growing investment and liveable hub.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the hospital’s presence marks an important milestone for the area, which has undergone rapid transformation over the past decade.
“Columbia Asia Hospital Batu Kawan is actually the first hospital in Bandar Cassia, Batu Kawan.
“After more than a decade of developing Batu Kawan as an investment and manufacturing centre with residential, commercial and institutional components, we now finally have a hospital here,” he said during a press conference after officiating the opening.
“We have manufacturing facilities, a shopping centre, university colleges, but we have long been looking forward to a hospital, whether public or private.
“Today, Columbia Asia has established itself here, becoming the first hospital in Batu Kawan, which is very important to serve this area,” he said.
Chow stressed that modern investors and professionals evaluate more than just industrial ecosystems when choosing where to invest.
“When investors assess any destination, besides the manufacturing ecosystem and supply chain, social facilities are also an important consideration.
“Top management and their families require these facilities. They are not robots who only work, they need accommodation, residences, shopping centres, medical facilities and so on before deciding to invest in a particular location.
“In terms of medical services, we very much welcome this because it enhances Batu Kawan as a whole,” he added.
In his speech earlier, Chow said Penang’s development story has evolved beyond economic growth alone.
“For more than five decades, Penang has built its reputation as a state driven by industry, innovation and global investment, a reputation that continues to place Penang among Asia’s leading economic and technology hubs.
“But Penang’s story today is no longer defined by economic growth alone. Increasingly, it is also about how we build a state that is liveable, inclusive and future-ready. In this place, people not only come to work and invest, but also to heal, recover, raise families, age well, and enjoy a better quality of life,” he further added.
He described the hospital’s launch as significant, saying it represents more than just a new healthcare facility.
“It reflects Penang’s broader evolution, where healthcare is becoming an increasingly important pillar of liveability, talent attraction, investor confidence and long-term economic resilience,” Chow said.
Batu Kawan has transformed from a largely agricultural area into one of Malaysia’s fastest-growing economic corridors, supported by the Second Penang Bridge, Batu Kawan Industrial Park and the presence of major multinational companies.
However, Chow emphasised that industrial growth alone is insufficient.
“No city can thrive on industrial growth alone. Sustainable and resilient development must also be supported by strong social infrastructure, healthcare, education, housing and public amenities.
“In this regard, Columbia Asia Hospital Batu Kawan strengthens that foundation. It enhances healthcare access for residents and workers in Batu Kawan and Seberang Perai, while supporting the needs of the growing mainland community,” he stated earlier.
The hospital’s opening also comes as Batu Kawan positions itself as a future healthcare hub, with the proposed 230-acre Penang Medi-City development involving Penang Development Corporation and Hi-Med Group aiming to create an integrated healthcare and wellness ecosystem.
“Together with developments such as Columbia Asia Hospital Batu Kawan, this will further strengthen the profile of Bandar Cassia and Batu Kawan as emerging centres for healthcare, medical investment and wellness services, while reinforcing Penang’s potential to become a leading hub for healthcare innovation and regional growth in Northern Malaysia,” Chow said.
Chow noted that healthcare is evolving, with more people prioritising prevention, wellness and early intervention.
“The latest findings by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council show that health screening is now the number one preferred discipline among healthcare travellers to Malaysia.
With Penang and Malaysia moving towards an ageing nation and facing rising lifestyle-related illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, Chow said the response must go beyond building more hospitals.
“We must also build healthier communities through stronger preventive healthcare, better accessibility, healthier lifestyles, and a more integrated, people-centric healthcare system that is sustainable for the future.
“Healthcare cannot be viewed as a standalone sector. It must form part of a larger development agenda, one that strengthens our people, supports economic resilience, and ensures that growth remains inclusive, balanced and sustainable for generations to come,” he further added.
Established in July 2025, Columbia Asia Hospital Batu Kawan spans approximately 431,000 square feet, comprising six floors and eight floors of podium parking.
The hospital has a total capacity of 145 beds (with 49 currently licensed) and 31 clinics (21 licensed), offering specialties including cardiology, emergency medicine, ear, nose and throat (ENT), general surgery, internal medicine, occupational health, obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G), ophthalmology, orthopaedics and paediatrics.
Its facilities include a 24-hour Accident and Emergency Department, cardiac catheterisation laboratory, 160-slice CT scan, 1.5 Tesla MRI machine, operating theatres, health screening unit, mammography, X-ray, ultrasound, ambulatory and surgical unit, pharmacy, clinical laboratory, physiotherapy room, isolation rooms, ICU, wards, labour rooms and Cafe Columbia.
Chow said the hospital’s launch reflects confidence in Penang’s continued growth.
“The opening of Columbia Asia Hospital Batu Kawan reflects confidence in Penang’s growth, confidence in Batu Kawan’s future, and confidence in our ability to build a state that is not only economically strong, but also healthy, liveable, and resilient.
“The Penang government will continue to support initiatives that improve healthcare access, drive innovation, create skilled jobs and strengthen the well-being of our people, because ultimately, the true measure of development is not only how much we grow, but how well we care for our people as we grow,” he said.
Also present earlier were state Youth, Sports, and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen, state Trade and National Unity Committee chairman Goh Choon Aik, Columbia Asia Hospital chief executive officer Mohd Shafee Awang, Asia OneHealthcare and Columbia Asia managing director and Group chief executive officer Dr Chan Boon Kheng.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Noor Siti Nabilah Noorazis
Video by Muhammad Iqbal Hamdan