MACC busts fake MC scam, arrests 7 doctors (Updated)

GEORGE TOWN: Seven doctors were arrested by the Penang Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for allegedly issuing medical health certificates for a fee to public bus and taxi drivers without them going through proper health check procedures.
Also detained in an operation on Tuesday were three individuals suspected of being involved in the activities - a 41-year-old female clinic assistant and two men who are the 'runners'.
Penang MACC director Datuk Abdul Aziz Aban said six of the doctors arrested are owners of a private clinic and another doctor is a government servant who happened to be on duty at his father's clinic during the operation.
He said the doctors, aged between 32 and 74 years, were arrested in an operation at 3pm on Tuesday in seven clinics around Bukit Mertajam, Batu Ferringhi, Pekan Lama, Gelugor and Prai.
Abdul Aziz said the ploy was discovered last December where doctors allegedly issued the certificates to public transport drivers wanting to renew their Public Service Vehicle License (PSVL) without having the applicants undergo a health check.
He said the clinic assistant was found to have certified the certificates, which should have been done by a doctor, while the two runners did so without requiring applicants to go to a clinic.
"The fee is between RM5 to RM30 for each application and this has been going on for the past four to 10 years," he said in a press conference today.
Abdul Aziz said one of the runners was found to have six fake stamps in the name of two non-existent clinics and three non-existent doctors.
He said 16 Road Transport Department (JPJ) forms booklets, of which seven were pre-signed and pre-stamped with the counterfeit stamps, and 1,259 receipts were seized from the runner.
"This is very serious as it involves public safety as bus and taxi drivers who are not in good health can cause and increase incidences of traffic accidents," he added.
Abdul Aziz said MACC also warned more arrests of doctors engaged in such unscrupulous activities were coming.
"They are on our radar," he said adding the Commission has already identified the suspects but did not elaborate.
The Penang High Court Assistant Registrar meanwhile issued a two-day remand order for all 10 of the suspects when theywere taken to the courts today.
The investigation is being carried out for offence of intending to deceive principal by agent under the MACC Act 2009.
Those convicted face a maximum 20 year prison sentence and a fine of not less than five times the sum of the false material or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Meanwhile, RTD sources told theSun a system whereby medical reports from doctors will be delivered online to the RTD instead of being sent manually was in the works.
The system is understood to be coming online soon in an effort to counter the ruse used by public transport drivers.
“Implementation of the system will be sped up,” theSun was told and that no RTD personnel were involved in the scam.