Illy Nadiah Mohd Yusof, representing Hospital Umra, handed over an agreement to Asmah Shukri not to repeat the act of spreading false accusations, witnessed by the Medical Director, Datuk Dr. Mohamed Rafi Mohammed Feizal, in Shah Alam recently.
SHAH ALAM, A woman, Asmah Shukri, 35, has come forward to publicly admit her mistake and apologize to Hospital UMRA here for spreading allegations that the hospital had imposed excessive charges on a patient.
Hospital UMRA is an integrated private hospital based in Shah Alam. Since its establishment, the hospital has been committed to providing high-quality, affordable, and compassionate healthcare for all segments of society, regardless of whether they are citizens or foreign nationals.
In a WhatsApp group posting, it was also alleged that her husband had been detained by the authorities for failing to settle the hospital bill.
As a result of the spread of this false information, the reputation of the hospital and its top management was affected.
“I acknowledge my mistake in spreading unverified information out of sympathy without first checking its accuracy. I deeply regret that my actions created slander, which tarnished the hospital’s good name as well as its management. I sincerely apologize for the damage and distress caused,” said Asmah.
She made this confession at a press conference organized by Hospital UMRA to clear its name.
Meanwhile, Hospital UMRA’s Medical Director, Datuk Dr. Mohamed Rafi Mohammed Feizal, stressed that the allegations were baseless slander that had harmed the hospital’s reputation and his standing as a medical practitioner.
“We are very disappointed with these false accusations. Allegations of overcharging and questioning my sincerity are both hurtful and disheartening. The hospital has always prioritized patient welfare and upheld the highest standards of medical practice with compassion,” he said.
The press conference was also attended by his lawyer, Illy Nadiah Mohd Yusof from the law firm Illy Yusof & Co.
According to Illy Nadiah, the issue first surfaced on July 27, 2025, when false information spread through several WhatsApp groups, alleging that the hospital charged excessively, leading to the patient’s husband being arrested by police for non-payment.
In reality, the foreign patient was admitted to Hospital UMRA on July 21, 2025, to deliver her baby. After two unsuccessful induction procedures, the patient requested a caesarean section, which was successfully carried out.
Illy explained that out of compassion, Dr. Rafi agreed to defer payment of the hospital bill, waived the initial deposit, and even upgraded the patient’s room from a shared ward to a private room at no extra charge. In fact, Dr. Rafi personally covered part of the treatment costs to ease the patient’s burden.
However, the couple reached out to a third party, a local woman, and shared inaccurate details of their financial situation. That third party then spread the false allegations via WhatsApp and circulated a QR code for donations.
Dr. Rafi only became aware of the matter after receiving an anonymous phone call questioning the alleged arrest of the patient’s husband. In a private video call, he proved that the allegation was false, showing that the husband had been with his wife the entire time. A subsequent police investigation also confirmed the facts and cleared both him and the hospital.
Dr. Rafi emphasized that the incident would not weaken his spirit or that of the entire medical team at Hospital UMRA in continuing to provide healthcare grounded in compassion.
“However, action will still be taken in cases of spreading unfounded slander, as we do not want society to normalize such behavior.
“A hospital whose reputation is harmed takes time to recover, when in fact we offer Rahmah packages in addition to maintaining special funds to assist patients facing financial difficulties. We are also open to discussions on reducing payments to ensure that no patient is deprived of access to quality healthcare,” he added.
Illy Nadiah also reminded the public to be more cautious when receiving information circulated on social media without verification.
“We urge the public not to spread unverified information. In line with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)’s motto, ‘If in Doubt, Don’t Share,’ people must ensure the accuracy of any information before forwarding it to others,” she said.
Asmah also expressed gratitude to Dr. Rafi for choosing to withdraw the police report against her, despite the fact that her actions had clearly harmed the hospital’s reputation. She admitted she learned a valuable lesson not to share information without certainty.
