[UPDATED] Despite no-action promise, #HartalDoktorKontrak probe appears ongoing

KUALA LUMPUR – Police investigations look to be continuing over doctors who participated in Monday’s Hartal Doktor Kontrak walkout despite assurances by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba yesterday that no action will be taken against them.

According to lawyer Asheeq Ali, who is representing the medical officers, police questioning started at 11.45pm yesterday and only ended at 3.50am today, involving 12 doctors.

He alleged that the investigation was initiated after a report was lodged by the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) Covid-19 Quarantine and Low-risk Treatment Centre (PKRC) director Dr Shahabuddin Ibrahim after several media personnel turned up to provide coverage on the walkout.

It is believed that the doctors were being questioned over the supposed trespass by media personnel who were there during the walkout.

He added that questioning is set to continue today as some medical personnel were not on duty last night.

“Whatever the reason is, taking statements in the early hours of the morning for four hours when they are on duty is an act of intimidation. IT IS COMPLETELY UNCALLED FOR!” he tweeted.

“They are DOCTORS, not CRIMINALS!

“@MyHEALTHKKM should not have allowed this to happen. Taking statements at wee hours when the Doctors are on duty is completely unacceptable. They are already overworked and exhausted, and you can still allow this? Shame!”

In a statement this morning, Asheeq said Shahabuddin claimed that the doctors did not have approval to have media personnel there during Monday’s walkout.

He added that the report lodged by Shahabuddin is an irresponsible and inhumane act.

“I see this as a serious intimidation from the Health Ministry and police. Although Adham promised that there will not be any action taken against those who participated in the hartal, the report lodged by the MAEPS PKRC director is an irresponsible and inhumane act.

“All this is to intimidate doctors who participated in hartal.”

He also urged the Health Ministry to immediately instruct Shahabuddin to withdraw the police report, if the ministry really cares for the doctors’ welfare.

“MoH and home minister have to give their commitment in the Dewan Rakyat today that all probes against #Hartal doctors in the country will be stopped immediately.

“The doctors are already mentally and physically exhausted. Stop treating them like criminals. The healthcare system is already collapsing, don’t break them further!” 

Meanwhile, @HKontrak tweeted asking why frontliners are being disturbed in the middle of the night despite the promise of no disciplinary action.

“It is not like they are partying at MAEPS.”

Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil also tweeted Adham’s assurance is “worthless” because as health minister, he “has no source of authority to direct the police to stop the investigation”. 

“But we have not heard a word from the home minister or prime minister.”

It was reported that medical officers in MAEPS who attempted to walk out on Monday were intimidated into staying put and threatened with police arrest.

The Vibes reported that Sg Buloh Hospital and Kuala Lumpur Hospital doctors who participated in the #HartalKontrakDoktor movement faced police intimidation.

Outside Sg Buloh Hospital, even media personnel were questioned by a man who identified himself as a Special Branch officer, and asked what was on the placards the medical officers were carrying.

There were two groups of doctors who staged a walkout at Sg Buloh Hospital.

Two medical officers clad in black from the first group attempted to answer questions by the media, before what seemed to be a plainclothes police officer shouted at them rudely to go away.

The doctors, who were clearly shaken by the incident, left the scene and refused to answer any more questions by the media.

When another group of doctors staged their walkout half an hour later at the same hospital, a medical officer managed to answer brief questions from the press.

The same plainclothes police officer also questioned the doctor before media personnel alerted the doctor that the person was not with the press.

Later another plainclothes officer placed his camera near the faces of the doctors and said: “We are going to compound all of them.”

Meanwhile at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, junior medical officers staged a walkout but found themselves facing police officers from Dang Wangi who ordered the doctors to stop gathering.

In Seremban’s Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital, police seemed more lenient with the medical officers on strike. Authorities gave the doctors 10 minutes to perform their walkout.

After the allotted time, police officers asked the doctors to disperse. – The Vibes, July 28, 2021