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The Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Gangsters dominate hospital mortuary, ex-govt doctor claims
PETALING JAYA: A former government doctor has revealed that gangsters acting as funeral service agents have taken control of a public hospital mortuary in Sarawak, intercepting deaths before official confirmation. Johan, who served the Health Ministry for over 20 years, told Free Malaysia Today that gang members would receive advance notice of deaths in emergency departments and wards through paid informants among the hospital staff. 'We believe there are insiders leaking information to them, and they are clearly being paid for it,' Johan was quoted as saying. The allegations surfaced after the health ministry issued a circular on Monday warning hospital mortuary staff against accepting payments, gifts, or donations for handling remains or providing information about deceased persons. The ministry stated that such cooperation with funeral service agents constitutes corruption. Johan continued, saying that the gang primarily targets non-Muslim bodies—a practice that continues to this day. 'A friend currently working at the hospital confirmed that these agents still loiter around the emergency department and mortuary,' he added. This forces grieving families to make rushed decisions without proper choices for funeral services. He also reported violent territorial disputes between funeral operators at Kuching's public and private hospitals. 'I still remember an incident where a car belonging to one of the gang members was set on fire near the hospital grounds,' he was quoted as saying. In another case, a family member revealed that hospital staff in Cheras demanded RM200 during body identification in 2017. 'It was upsetting. We were already overwhelmed with grief, and someone working there had the nerve to ask for RM200. 'Why request it in front of the deceased and not at a proper payment counter? Asking for money from grieving family members clearly goes against SOPs,' the unnamed family member said.
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Info chief dismisses claims of power struggle in PBB, says ulterior motives behind rumours
Abdul Karim fields questions from the media. – Photo by Chimon Upon KUCHING (July 17): Claims of a power struggle brewing in Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) have been dismissed as the work of those with ulterior motives wishing to stir things up. PBB information chief Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said it was unfounded to claim PBB president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg is facing a challenge from PBB deputy president Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan for the premier's post. 'As far as I know from being a member of the party as well as in the supreme council, I don't see there is any rivalry. 'There is always respect for the leader — the one who is higher than you in the Sarawak political hierarchy. That's how I noticed all these years,' he told reporters after launching the Kuching Half Marathon Heritage Run 2025 here today. He was responding to a Free Malaysia Today article titled 'Silent rivalry brewing in Sarawak over premiership?', which cited unnamed sources. Abdul Karim stressed that Sarawak politics is grounded in a culture of respect and discipline, in contrast to the political dynamics seen elsewhere. 'I can't comment about other regions. In other regions, sometimes, those who are at the top, those who are at the bottom, want to jolok-jolok (provoke) to bring someone down. 'But it does not happen in Sarawak. We have our very deep culture of letting the top leader be in charge until such time when he feels that he needs to step down. Then they will look for whoever is going to replace them. That's what I see,' he explained. According to him, even during candidate selection for elections, PBB members have always shown discipline and loyalty. 'When it comes to PBB, there has never been anyone who has been dropped, complaining or revolting. Not that I know. They would willingly let go when told by the leader their time is up. 'We know this is normally one of the big problems in elections. Those who have been there for many years, they refuse to let go. And when let go, they go against you. They support the other side. This is not the culture in PBB,' he said. While pointing out he could not speak for other components within Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), he stressed PBB members have consistently demonstrated discipline and unity. 'So, all this speculation, all these rumours, I believe are just rumours by those who have got other ulterior motives behind it — mahu jolok sana, jolok sini (trying to stir things up),' he added. Abang Johari Awang Tengah Ali Hasan lead PBB rivalry
Focus Malaysia
3 days ago
- Focus Malaysia
Public hospital mortuary in Sarawak ‘dominated' by gang, alleges former doctor
A GANG, acting as agents for funeral services, has 'dominated' the mortuary of a Sarawak public hospital, alleged a former civil servant. According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), the former doctor who asked to be known as Johan said that gang members often showed up as soon as a death was reported in the emergency department or hospital wards, sometimes even before the death was officially confirmed. FMT quoted Johan as saying that it is believed that there are insiders leaking information to them and that they are clearly being paid for it. On Monday, the Health Ministry had issued a stern warning that hospital staff are strictly prohibited from accepting any gift, contribution, payment, or inducement that could be considered a bribe or corruption in managing deceased patients. In a circular dated April 21, the ministry said this includes providing information or personal details of the deceased to external parties or individuals involved in funeral management. Johan, who served with the ministry for more than two decades, claimed that the gang mostly targeted non-Muslim bodies in a practice that continued up until today. 'A friend currently working at the hospital confirmed that these agents still loiter around the emergency department and mortuary,' he was quoted as saying. He said as a result, grieving and often shocked families are pressured into making quick decisions without a fair choice of funeral services. Johan further alleged that some funeral service operators had clashed in 'territorial disputes', leading to violent altercations at both public and private hospitals in Kuching. 'I still remember an incident where a car belonging to one of the gang members was set on fire near the hospital grounds,' he said. ‒ July 17, 2025 Main image: Mediacorp
Rakyat Post
4 days ago
- Rakyat Post
Police Confirm There Was Nudity At eHati Marriage Motivational Programme
Subscribe to our FREE A marriage motivational programme called eHati has been at the center of controversy after it faced allegations of inappropriate activities at an event it hosted last year. Amidst an ongoing investigation, police have confirmed today (16 July) that the programme did indeed feature an activity involving nudity, Free Malaysia Today According to Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan, the activities involving nudity occurred on the last day of the event, which ran from 27 to 30 September, 2024, during the 'Queens Night' portion. READ MORE: The programme's founders were arrested by police Following the allegations, police arrested eHati founders Diyana Tahir and her husband Rahim Shukor yesterday (15 July) under Sections 294 and 509 of the Penal Code pertaining to obscene acts or words in public and insults to modesty respectively. Their arrest was also made under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 (Act 336) which pertains to insulting behaviour. The duo's home was also raided by the police after they had given their statements at police headquarters. Diyana and Rahim issued a joint statement denying the allegations In a statement published on Facebook on 15 July, the eHati founders said their programmes are safe spaces for women and denied deviant teachings and alleged 'spiked drinks' at their event in Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) in Shah Alam last year. They explained that they are certified practitioners in hypnotherapy, and that all of their company programmes follow the ethical standards of local values and cultures. According to their website, eHati's programme modules include sessions on breathwork, Trauma Release Exercise, and hypnotherapy to help participants achieve inner and mental calmness. READ MORE: The controversy was sparked by a Facebook user An individual Masyitah Ashari shared on Facebook about eHati's programme at IDCC last year conducting lewd activities including a female speaker stripping off her bikini and dancing with members of the programme, which led to other participants also stripping down and joining the dance. She also claimed there was a drink called 'Piya' being given to participants, which was allegedly spiked with a hallucinogenic substance to discard inhibitions. Masyitah has been actively criticising eHati and its programmes on Facebook, calling them out for conducting lewd activities and deviant practices that go against the teachings of Islam. Her viral post which landed eHati in trouble has since been deleted for unknown reasons. Image: Facebook | Masyitah Ashari Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Study finds young Malaysians most likely to support ban on racially biased landlords
KUALA LUMPUR: Young Malaysians aged 18 to 24 are more likely than any other age group to support a legal ban on racial discrimination by landlords. This stance contrasts sharply with older generations, a new YouGov survey shows. The survey, involving 1,104 respondents, found that Malaysians aged 18 to 24 were the only age group where more people supported making racial discrimination in renting illegal (39 per cent) than those who opposed it. In contrast, 58.7 per cent of respondents aged 35 to 54 believed landlords should retain the right to select tenants based on race. A report by Free Malaysia Today (FMT) said overall, nearly 57 per cent supported introducing a law to regulate the rental housing market, while only 10 per cent were against the proposed Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) — legislation that has been in the pipeline for years. However, Malaysians remain divided on whether the RTA should specifically ban racial discrimination in housing. Nearly half of all respondents said landlords should be allowed to choose tenants by race, while only 31 per cent supported making such practices illegal. The findings were released during a forum hosted by Architects of Diversity (AOD), a civil society group advocating for equality in housing and education, to mark the launch of its report on discrimination in the rental market. Forum participants called on the government to expedite and strengthen the RTA to include clear protections against racial discrimination. "If the government fails to pass the Residential Tenancy Act — or worse, passes it without addressing racial discrimination — it will have missed its greatest opportunity to protect Malaysian Indians," said AOD executive director Jason Wee. The survey found that Indians were the most affected by racial bias, with nearly two in five reporting discrimination while trying to rent a home. Support for banning discrimination was highest among Indians (63.8 per cent), young adults (39 per cent), and full-time students (42 per cent). Wee noted that young Malaysians, particularly minorities, are especially vulnerable to housing discrimination as they often rely on rented accommodation while studying or beginning their careers in urban areas. The forum also highlighted common justifications landlords give for selecting tenants by race, including fear of problematic tenants, concerns about religious or cultural clashes, and entrenched personal biases masked as "racial preferences."
