‘Sex Predator’ Doctor ‘Urges’ Staff to Sign Support Letter

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More victims, including housemen, have come forward to lodge complaints of sexual abuse that occurred in hospitals.

The senior doctor said to have sexually abused female housemen has pressured medical officers and specialists under him to sign a letter vouching for his performance as the department head.

The Star reported that according to sources, he instructed one of his medical staff to draft a letter of support for him on Tuesday (Jul 31) and asked other medical staff, including nurses, to sign it.

He also allegedly phoned medical officers and specialists on Monday night to urge them to sign the letter.

Representational image

A draft of the letter was sighted by The Star, and purportedly it is addressed to the independent inquiry body investigating the matter.

The body comprises representatives from Health ministry, Women, Family, Community Development Ministry and other relevant agencies.

The letter stated that under his leadership, the hospital’s Orthopaedic department had achieved an excellent track record and was respected by many.

It is expected that the petition letter would be prepared and sent in by Wednesday (Aug 1), said a source.

On Sunday (July 29), The Star carried a front-page expose of the sex predator in a Klang Valley hospital and since then, more victims, including housemen, have come forward to lodge complaints of sexual abuse that occurred in hospitals, said the Health Ministry.

The Orthopaedic department head is said to have gone on indefinite leave.

A victim of his related her ordeal to The Star, saying that he called her to his office one day to give her an assignment.

“As I got ready to leave, we shook hands. And suddenly he pulled me into his arms and tried to kiss my cheeks.

“I managed to dodge it and flee,” the victim was quoted as saying, adding she only told a few people about it as she was afraid of his influence in the department.

Another unwelcome incident happened at the end of her posting when the department head asked her to carry his stuff to his car.

“The car park was deserted then. When we reached his vehicle, he asked for a wefie.

“As we were taking the wefie he tried to hug and kiss me again. His attempt was thwarted when another staff member came in to park.

“I was lucky someone came!”

Another former houseman recounted the last day of her posting when she was late for work.

Her boss then told her he had a “punishment” for her, which was to carry his stuff to his car.

“I was carrying his stuff and he asked me: ‘You are not married yet, right? If I were your age I would have flirted with you.’

“In the lift later, he started hugging me tight and told me: ‘I treat you all as my daughters so just treat me as a father.’

“He liked to take wefies with female house officers. I tried to stay as far away from him during the wefie,” she was quoted as saying.

Apparently, female house officers were not the only ones preyed on; even medical officers and specialists were not spared.

A former male medical officer said the department head would coax them to go for private dinners and drinks with him once or twice a week, including when his approval of staff’s annual leave was required.

“I was forced to take alcohol. Although I did not enjoy drinking, I had to bring a bottle or two for such dinners.

“At the end of the night, he might not even sign our leave form,” the male medical officer was quoted as saying.

Yesterday, deputy Health director-general Datuk Dr Azman Abu Bakar said many allegations had been made on the department head, but he had not been able to locate any police report related to the case.

The police had also gone to the hospital to investigate the matter but still could not find the report, he told reporters.

On Monday (July 30), Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad issued a statement that an independent inquiry body would be set up to look into the case of alleged sexual harassment and bullying of female housemen by an orthopaedics department head of a Klang Valley hospital.

Dzulkefly added that he will be meeting his counterpart in the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her deputy Hannah Yeoh to discuss the matter.

All victims who faced abuse or harassment of any form at the hospital workplace are urged to file a direct report to the minister at drdzul@moh.gov.my.


Earlier report: Jul 30, Health Minister Vows to Uncover Sex Predator Heading Hospital Dept