Malaysian medical lab technologist faces 25 urine-tampering charges

JOHOR BAHRU - A 52-year-old medical laboratory technologist has claimed trial to 25 charges of receiving bribes amounting to RM16,150 (S$4,560) at the Sessions Court in Johor Bahru, in relation to a recent urine-tampering controversy.

Saifulamin Sabran pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to him in front of judge Ahmad Kamal Arifin Ismail on Feb 18.

According to the charge sheet, the accused worked at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital’s (HSA) Pathology Department and agreed to receive payments from six bank account holders who acted as middlemen.

The middlemen for the transaction received money from six individuals who transferred RM500 and RM2,000 between Aug 17, 2019, and Jan 19, 2023.

The payments were made at six different branches of two banks around Johor Bahru, Kota Tinggi, Kulai and Simpang Renggam.

The offence is framed under Section 165 of the Penal Code involving a public servant who had allegedly obtained valuable things without consideration from a person concerned with his official function. It carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both.

The case was prosecuted by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) prosecution officer Fatin Farhana Ismail and deputy public prosecutor Julaila Jamaludin, while Saifulamin is represented by Shaik Saleem SM Daud.

During the proceeding, Ms Fatin Farhana requested bail to be set at RM13,000 and three additional terms for the accused.

The terms he has to abide by are not to bother any witnesses to the case, to report every month at the Johor Bahru MACC office, and to hand over his international passport to the court.

Mr Shaik Saleem requested a lower bail, as Saifulamin is taking care of his three children and unemployed wife.

The court set bail at RM10,000 and April 21 for case mention. The accused paid the bail.

The Star had previously reported that medical staff working with the pathology department at a government hospital in Johor Bahru was at the centre of an extensive network involved in providing tampered urine samples in substance abuse cases for a fee of between RM500 and RM1,500.

Among those caught were 33 policemen of various ranks from almost all of Johor’s 13 police districts. Investigations also revealed the network has been operational since 2018.

The incident also resulted in the reshuffling of almost 10 medical personnel from HSA’s pathology department.

Johor health and environment committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said the department has reinforced all standard operating procedures related to the handling of urine samples.

This includes implementing digitalisation measures to prevent any future tampering.

He added that the department took the matter seriously, as HSA is the only hospital in the southern region involved in testing urine samples for the police and the National Anti-Drug Agency.

The hospital tests about 20,000 to 30,000 urine samples each year. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK