KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — The police today confirmed that it is investigating a dentist called “Dr Han”, over a video in his social media account “Gigi Han” in which he explained the situation involving contract doctors that led to the protests by healthcare workers and a proposed strike.
In a statement today, Bukit Aman’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director, Datuk Seri Abd Jalil Hassan said that the man is being investigated for alleged intention to incite the public under Section 505(c) of the Penal Code, and under Section 233 the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988 for alleged improper use of network facilities or network service.
“The investigation papers would be completed immediately and will be referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers for the next course of action,” Abd Jalil said.
He said that police had received a report on the video titled “Malaysian doctors on strike/mogok?”, in which the man had called on the public to take part in the campaign by changing their profile photos on social media to a black or monochrome coloured ones, beginning July 1 until July 12, and to upload photos with the hashtags: #SaveMYcontractHCW #CodeBlackMY and #BlackMondayMY.
The three hashtags are part of a campaign by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) in solidarity with contract doctors.
“The action is named as Code Black which means a state of Emergency in hospitals, owing to threat to the workers, or a bomb threat in hospitals. Code Black is aimed at giving support to contract medical officers who demand to be accorded privileges similar to permanent medical officers.
“The individual also alleged that the system practised by the government can affect the lives of all Malaysians and also the healthcare services for six decades, since Malaysia attained independence.
“The public are advised to not make any statements or irresponsible speculations which can affect police investigations,” Abd Jalil added.
The MMA yesterday questioned the police for investigating healthcare workers backing its solidarity campaigns for contract doctors and suggested it was a form of harassment.
While noting the police have a right to investigate, MMA president Prof Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy condemned the way the investigation appeared to target doctors who were simply championing the rights of healthcare workers in the country.
Dr Subramaniam said it has repeatedly said its solidarity campaigns known as Code Black and Black Monday have nothing to do with other similarly colour-coded campaigns and have also informed the Health Ministry about them.
The #HartalDoktorKontrak movement also said he alleged harassment by police towards those who supported contract doctors through the Code Black and Black Monday campaigns was a violation of healthcare workers’ human rights
The MMA and allied healthcare workers organisations have been pushing the government to increase the number of permanent positions for contract doctors for some time, arguing that the lack of such positions makes it difficult to create new medical specialists amid a personnel shortage, and drives potential doctors away from Malaysia to seek better prospects abroad.
It estimated that 15,000 healthcare workers have come out in support of the campaigns on social media since its launch. Black Monday took place yesterday, where doctors wear black after a 12-day duration for Code Black campaign on social media.
This comes ahead of a separate strike organised by the hartal movement which is organised by a group of contract doctors, set for July 26.
Contract doctors get unequal pay compared to their permanent colleagues, face uncertainty over their contract extensions, and are also denied access to government’s programme for them to further their studies to become specialists.
