MINISTER Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad has defended the Health Ministry’s decision to transfer a former Sabah hospital director pending investigation into an alleged sexual harassment case.
“I stand by whatever I have said and reported,” he said, adding the decision followed an internal investigation carried out by the Ministry.
He said the officer had been given the option of being suspended from duty or administratively transferred to ensure the investigation process could proceed without disruption. Dzulkefly said the officer had since been placed at the State Health Department as a medical officer.
“We have not demoted him by way of grade. We are only placing him so that he does not play the role of hospital director, so as not to disrupt the investigation,” he added.
He said the internal investigation would be followed by a full investigation and that the officer was placed under the State Health Department, where the State Health Director is based, pointing out that this is important.
For the record, Dzulkefly was on Saturday quoted as saying that the director has been removed from his post and reassigned as a medical officer at the State Health Department pending further action.
He said the official investigation report had been submitted to the Public Service Department to determine subsequent disciplinary action and that the Ministry would not compromise on the safety and welfare of its personnel.
He added that the alleged victim had received full support and treatment before returning to work. The former hospital director has since lodged a police report at the Luyang police station through his counsel, seeking a probe into how confidential information regarding sexual harassment allegations against him was leaked to the media and social platforms.
His legal team said an earlier police investigation into the harassment allegations had been classified as No Further Action, while the Tribunal for Anti-Sexual Harassment had yet to deliver its decision following a hearing in late July.
The legal team has also received instructions to file a judicial review against the Health Ministry and the Federal Government over the transfer, along with separate legal action over the alleged leak.
