The Malaysian Insight

HEALTH Minister Dr Adham Baba must explain the police questioning contract doctors who took part in a strike on Monday, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (Kulim Bandar Baru-PH) said.

According to Saifuddin, further comment from Adham was necessary because the minister had given his assurance yesterday that no action would be taken against these doctors.

Speaking in Parliament this morning, the PKR lawmaker asked why police officers had to take statements from doctors at the Serdang MAEPS quarantine centre at close to midnight last night.

“The government must give a clear explanation what is going on after a guarantee from the minister that no one would be investigated.

“Last night, a lawyer representing the doctors was not allowed to enter the centre because he had no permission, but he was told that they were questioned from 11.45pm to 4am in the morning.

“What is all this? Why intimidate the doctors when what they request was for an equal treatment,” Saifuddin said.

Earlier, The Malaysian Insight reported that 12 doctors were questioned by police through the night, for going on a strike on Monday.

Lawyer for the Hartal Doktor Kontrak group Asheeq Ali Seth Alivi said he was at the quarantine centre to assist the doctors but was not permitted to accompany them when their statements were taken.

He said the police were responding to a report from the MAEPS director about the doctors’ participation in a strike organised by Hartal Doktor Kontrak.

Adham told Parliament yesterday that no action would be taken against the doctors for staging the nationwide protest.

Speaking further, Saifuddin also asked for Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin to clarify the status of the investigation before insisting Adham contact his counterpart regarding the matter.

“I hope that the health minister can check with the home minister, who can call the Inspector-General of Police and ask what is going on.

“The doctors are already mentally and physically exhausted. Stop treating them like criminals,” he added.

On Monday, hundreds of medical officers in Malaysia had walked out of public hospitals to demand permanent employment.

They had rejected Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s offer to extend their contracts as a stop-gap solution.

Hartal Doktor Kontrak had called Muhyiddin’s offer “half-baked”. – July 28, 2021.