PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad says he is prepared for the authorities to investigate claims he handed out duit raya to voters in Kuala Kubu Baharu.
The Health Minister said he was ready if the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) called him up over footage showing him handing out duit raya.
He stressed that it was a tradition for him during Hari Raya Aidilfitri when visiting people and staff at hospitals.
“Every Raya and visit, it is my habit... but it happened before nomination day (for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election).
“Let them investigate. It is okay, they will know eventually,” he told a press conference after launching the Medical Device Authority (MDA) Awards here on Friday (May 3).
ALSO READ: KKB by-election: MACC to run 24-hour operations room until polling day
On another matter, Dzulkefly said an emergency meeting would be held Friday night with the ministry’s top management to discuss measures to address issues involving the shortage of medical officers in district hospitals.
“We use to produce between 6,000 and 7,000 fresh medical graduates but the numbers have declined by almost 50% and initially... housemen (doctors) are not placed at district hospitals.
“The emergency meeting will discuss this and find (ways to address the problem). We will also look into the acute shortage of housemen in district hospitals which must be addressed as well.
“Tonight, we will decide and announce the implementation in the next two or three days,” he added.
On April 26, Dzulkefly said in a post on X that he had instructed federal and state health leaderships to review the human resources situation involving public hospitals and the placement of housemen in the country.