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Health Minister Dato’ Sri Dr Adham Baba assured the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, 27 July, that medical officers who participated in Monday’s #HartalDoktorKontrak strike will not face any disciplinary action
“No action will be taken against them, even though they held a demonstration yesterday. They have the right to do so,” Adham Baba told the special parliamentary session on Tuesday.
Image via Malaysiakini
The strike was held at 11am on Monday to call for better working conditions for contract doctors.
Despite that, police went to the COVID-19 quarantine centre at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) at midnight, 28 July
Malaysiakini reported lawyer Asheeq Ali, who represents the group, saying that police officers were taking full statements about the whole event and interviewing staff individually.
He said that 12 doctors were questioned by police for over four hours, from 11.30pm until 3.45am.
@DGHisham It is 3.30 a.m. and your fellow doctors are still being investigated here at MAEPS.
— Asheeq Ali (@AsheeqAli) July 27, 2021
The investigation, however, is unexpected given the fact that doctors at MAEPS had decided to cancel the proposed walkout on Monday when they were threatened with police arrest.
Asheeq said that the investigation comes after the MAEPS director filed a report over the media’s unauthorised presence during the strike
He called it an act of intimidation against those who had voiced out their concerns.
Walau apa pun, nak ambil keterangan awal pagi macam ni selama 4 jam di waktu mereka bertugas menyelamatkan negara adalah satu intimidasi yang tidak boleh dikompromi.IT IS COMPLETELY UNCALLED FOR!
— Asheeq Ali (@AsheeqAli) July 27, 2021
Asheeq also said that the Ministry of Health should not have allowed the investigation 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?”
Meanwhile, in the Dewan Rakyat today, Lembah Pantai member of Parliament (MP) Fahmi Fadzil asked for clarification over the issue
He requested Dewan Rakyat Speaker to let Adham Baba answer on the action taken by the police.
Lembah Pantai – PH (@fahmi_fadzil) minta penjelasan sama ada kenyataan Menteri Kesihatan semalam mengenai tiada tindakan ke atas #HartalDoktorKontrak mengelirukan Dewan atau tidak.”..ada laporan media nyatakan polis telah rakam percakapan 12 doktor di MAEPS, Serdang”
— Firdaus Azil (@FirdausAzil) July 28, 2021