Intimidation And Threats A Recurring Theme In Doctors Strike

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The theme of intimidation and threats against contact doctors who expressed their desire to participate in the one-day strike called by the Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) reared its ugly head again today.
Yesterday, HDK organisers said they received more than 20 threats in a six-hour span against the protest, which were then borne out today.
In one instance, at the Covid-19 quarantine centre at Maeps, Serdang, doctors decided to cancel the proposed walkout when threatened with police arrest.
Police also entered the media room to inform members of the media that only the Selangor Information Department was allowed to “cover” the event and even official media such as RTM and Bernama were not allowed.
A Malaysiakini video journalist, who had begun a livestream, was ordered to cease and media personnel were escorted off the premises.
Maeps officials later claimed that none of the journalists followed SOP to enter its hall and that is why they were removed from the area.
At Hospital Sungai Buloh, Malaysiakini was interviewing a number of doctors, including a husband and wife couple, who said that they wished to secure permanent posts under better terms.
However, as more media personnel came to join the interview, a plainclothes police officer intervened to separate the doctors from journalists and ordered the couple to walk away.
When a group of doctors from the hospital began their strike and exited the hospital’s main gate to begin their protest walk, they found that they were prevented from returning to the premises through a side gate as it had been locked by security.

The side gate had been used by another group of protesting doctors to re-enter Sungai Buloh Hospital compound moments earlier.

The second group had to make a U-turn and re-enter the hospital to go back to work via the hospital main gate.
Later, a police car then entered the compound and ordered the doctors with loudhailers to disperse and reminded them that the gathering was illegal.
Meanwhile, at Hospital Shah Alam, personnel believed to be plainclothes police were seen roaming around the main lobby with hospital management staff.
A Malaysiakini video journalist was asked for his media card and, upon saying he just wanted to use the lavatory, was followed by a plainclothes officer.
He was later prevented from taking pictures of the protest by hospital staff.
Cops probe HKL protest
Elsewhere, Dang Wangi police chief Mohamad Zainal Abdullah announced that the police will probe this morning’s strike by junior contract doctors at Hospital Kuala Lumpur
“We will launch an investigation because during the movement control order period no one is allowed to assemble or engage in any gathering at any place for any purpose whether religious, social, sports, marriage or cultural without the permission of the director-general of health.
“This is contained below Regulation 10 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act (National Recovery Plan) Regulations 2021,” he told Malaysiakini.
Around 50 junior doctors and medical officers at Hospital Kuala Lumpur were among government contract doctors at around 15-20 hospitals who walked out of their jobs in a nationwide strike this morning to demand job security and better career opportunities.
Several hundred, if not thousands, turned up despite their superiors threatening to take disciplinary action against those who participated in the HDK protest.


Mostly clad in black and carrying placards and posters, the participants started leaving their respective health facilities in unison at 11am.
The organisers outlined procedures to ensure that the care of hospital patients will not be jeopardised in any way.
Among others, HDK’s guidelines for participants assigned to critical care departments state that they should only walk out at 11am after “pass-over” or transfer of duties to the permanent doctor on duty.
Offers of legal aid
The legal secretariat of Amanah strongly condemned any form of intimidation against the participants and organisers of the protest.
“We found that the HDK rally had run peacefully and had given space to the participants to voice out and demand their due rights.
“Various media outlets have reported that there were threats and warnings from the authorities to prevent the participants from gathering. In some places, participants were even instructed to stop the gathering and asked to disperse.
“Even more frustrating is when Hartal participants are now going to be investigated and questioned,” it said in a statement.

The legal secretariat said it was ready to provide legal aid to any participant who receives intimidation or is called by the authorities for investigation and it can be contacted at its hotline at 013-6680072.

PKR Youth’s Professional Bureau and the Law and Legal Bureau similarly condemned any pressure by superiors who threatened to take disciplinary action against those who participated in the peaceful protests organised by HDK.
“We also demand that the authorities respect their freedom (to protest). PKR Youth is ready to offer legal aid to those who are threatened with any legal action as a result of participating in peaceful protests,” said its professional bureau chief Seah Jhen Pei and legal affairs bureau head Chiew Choon Man in a joint statement today.
Yesterday, a HDK representative, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid government reprisal, said he was mystified by the effectiveness of hospital directors working on a Sunday to thwart the strike, which is lobbying for better treatment of contract doctors.
“Within six hours, we got more than 20 threats from almost every director of hospitals and state health departments.
“When we asked for their support for our plight, they all kept silent. But suddenly on a Sunday evening, all of them could activate and work (to stop the strike),” he told Malaysiakini. - Mkini

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