POLICE went to the Serdang MAEPS quarantine centre to question doctors over alleged media trespass into the cordoned zone, Selangor police chief Arjunaidi Mohamed said.

He said the presence of the police at the centre late last night was not to question the medical staff over their participation in the doctors’ protest on Monday.

In a virtual press conference, Arjunaidi said police went to meet the 12 doctors at midnight, because it was their working shift and they had permission from the centre management.

“We are not investigating the doctors about the hartal, that is clear, but we are probing an alleged intrusion or trespass by media personnel on that day.

“There was no breach of SOP by the doctors on Monday. We are not investigating the protest at all.

“The issue is now trespassing. There were six journalists who entered the compound without wearing personal protective equipment (PPE),” said Arjunaidi.

The press conference today came hours after opposition MPs slammed the government for allowing the police to interview doctors who participated in the strike, although the Health Minister had promised there would be no investigation.

Arjunaidi stated that he could have ordered his men to meet the doctors off-shift but did not want to trouble them.

“It was their working hours, to record their statement after working hours would be tiring for them. We also had the permission from the management to enter.

“It was not the doctors’ fault and I do not want outsiders to manipulate the issue,” he said.

However, Arjunaidi did not reveal which media outlets were suspected of trespass.

“We will call them soon. The issue is that they were not protecting themselves. What if they infected others and bring the virus out?

“We respect media freedom but at the same time we cannot let them endanger others as well as themselves,” he told the press this afternoon.

Yesterday, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba guaranteed that no investigation of doctors would take place.

However, last night lawyer Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi alleged that police recorded the statement of 12 doctors in MAEPS at midnight, accusing them of intimidating the medics.

He said the police only left at 4am, while he was not allowed to accompany his clients, because he did not have the permission to enter the quarantine centre.

In Parliament this morning, PKR lawmaker Saifuddin Nasution demanded an explanation from Health Minister Dr Adham Baba as the minister was addressing the Dewan Rakyat on Covid-19 issues. – July 28, 2021.