A GANG, acting as agents for funeral services, has “dominated” the mortuary of a Sarawak public hospital, alleged a former civil servant.
According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), the former doctor who asked to be known as Johan said that gang members often showed up as soon as a death was reported in the emergency department or hospital wards, sometimes even before the death was officially confirmed.
FMT quoted Johan as saying that it is believed that there are insiders leaking information to them and that they are clearly being paid for it.
On Monday, the Health Ministry had issued a stern warning that hospital staff are strictly prohibited from accepting any gift, contribution, payment, or inducement that could be considered a bribe or corruption in managing deceased patients.
In a circular dated April 21, the ministry said this includes providing information or personal details of the deceased to external parties or individuals involved in funeral management.
Johan, who served with the ministry for more than two decades, claimed that the gang mostly targeted non-Muslim bodies in a practice that continued up until today.
“A friend currently working at the hospital confirmed that these agents still loiter around the emergency department and mortuary,” he was quoted as saying.
He said as a result, grieving and often shocked families are pressured into making quick decisions without a fair choice of funeral services.
Johan further alleged that some funeral service operators had clashed in “territorial disputes”, leading to violent altercations at both public and private hospitals in Kuching.
“I still remember an incident where a car belonging to one of the gang members was set on fire near the hospital grounds,” he said. ‒ July 17, 2025
Main image: Mediacorp
