MPs slam probe on hartal doctors despite ‘no action’ promise

 

MPs in the Dewan Rakyat today took health minister Dr Adham Baba and home minister Hamzah Zainudin to task for the probe on the doctors at MAEPS which lasted till the wee hours of the morning. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: MPs today questioned health minister Dr Adham Baba over his assurance yesterday that no action would be taken against doctors who took part in a recent strike, saying that the promise had not been kept.

Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (PH-Kulim-Bandar Bharu) said a lawyer told him that he was called to the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) late last night.

“Hartal doctors were questioned by police from midnight till 4am.

“The doctors should have been attending to patients during that time,” he told the Dewan Rakyat.

Saifuddin said the questioning was a form of intimidation, and added that the lawyer had been prevented from entering the centre.

“Doctors are physically and mentally exhausted. Stop treating them like criminals.”

The health system, he said, was collapsing and such an action by the police should be avoided.

“A political decision should be made immediately (to stop this). A guarantee was given yesterday by the health minister,” he said.

Ramkarpal Singh (PH-Bukit Gelugor) said the questioning could have caused mental stress to the doctors involved.

“The lock-up rules are designed to prevent mental stress due to questioning carried out like that,” he said, and asked the government to explain why such methods were used.

Khalid Samad (PH-Shah Alam) asked home minister Hamzah Zainudin to apologise over the questioning.

Earlier, Fahmi Fadzil (PH-Lembah Pantai) also asked the health minister why the doctors had been questioned despite his assurance that their actions would not be probed.

Yesterday, Adham had given an assurance that disciplinary action would not be taken against contract doctors who took part in the strike and that the doctors had the right to express their views.

Ngeh Koo Ham (PH-Beruas) told the police to back off as the doctors did not commit any crime.

Even if there had been a breach of rules, it would be an internal matter, he said.

“The police have no powers (here).

“(They must) back off, or the police will be seen as abusing their powers,” he told the House. - FMT