KUALA LUMPUR – The midnight questioning of doctors at MAEPS Serdang was for their convenience, said Selangor police chief Datuk Arjunaidi Mohamed today.
In a press conference, he said the doctors were on duty between 8pm and 8am, and it would not be convenient for them to be questioned after their shift ended.
Arjunaidi added that the doctors were not questioned over the #HartalDoktorKontrak movement on Monday as the event did not violate standard operating procedures.
The police chief said the investigation is linked to the alleged trespass by six media personnel who were at the centre to provide coverage for the walkout.
It is learnt that the media personnel will be questioned tomorrow.
Arjunaidi said this is not an infringement on press freedom but a way to safeguard their safety.
“If we know that there are dangerous elements in place, are we going to let them enter?
“What if they contract the virus and spread it elsewhere?”
Investigations are being conducted under Section 448 of the Penal Code for trespassing. If found guilty, the act provides for a maximum sentence of three years in prison or a fine of RM5,000 or both.
Earlier, Sepang deputy police chief Md Noor Aehawan Mohamed said in a statement that they received a complaint from the centre’s management that six media personnel from various agencies had entered the premises without permission.
“The area there happens to be a hall that accommodates 496 women patients, all infected with Covid-19.
“The hall has been gazetted as a coronavirus treatment and quarantine centre, and the public in general have been prohibited from entering without permission.
“One media personnel is understood to have livestreamed coverage while he was in the hall.”
Currently, police have recorded statements from 17 medical officers, who were on duty during the incident, to assist in the investigation.
The investigation is conducted pursuant to Section 448 of the Penal Code for trespass, Section 17(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations 2021 for flouting standard operating procedures, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for recording in a prohibited zone. – The Vibes, July 28, 2021
