Missing MH370: 'Magic carpet' nurses not suspended, says HKL

The picture that was uploaded on Twitter showing the nurses spoofing the bomoh

PETALING JAYA: Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) has not suspended the three nurses for spoofing bomoh Ibrahim Mat Zin in a photo that has since gone viral on social media.

However, a detailed investigation is being conducted, said HKL director Datuk Dr Zaininah Mohd Zain.

"The hospital authority is conducting a detailed investigation on the incident and appropriate actions will be taken depending on the findings of the investigation," Dr  Zaininah told The Star Online via an e-mail on Thursday

HKL deputy director Dr Ding Lay Ming told The Star that reports that the nurses were suspended were not true.

"No such thing. They were only asked to explain their actions," she said.

The three nurses were among many who had parodied the "magic carpet" set up by Ibrahim and his followers at KL International Airport.

Ibrahim, who calls himself Raja Bomoh Sedunia Nujum VIP with the title of Datuk Mahaguru, on Wednesday brought along “zam-zam” water, two coconuts, a “magical” walking stick and a “magic carpet” that served as a “boat” for him and his assistants.

He had performed rituals at the airport's Anjung Tinjau that attracted a crowd.

“The purpose of the rituals is to weaken the bad spirits so the rescuers can find the plane if it indeed had crashed,” he told reporters.

Ibrahim has conducted two 'sessions' in attempts to rescue the flight. He claimed he could see the flight, that it might be hijacked by elves or suspended in mid air.

MH370, which was carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, went off the radar at 1.07am on Saturday, about an hour after departing KL International Airport. 

Malaysian Medical Association president Datuk Dr N.K.S. Tharmaseelan said what the three nurses had done was a prank "which most teenagers will do within the confines of a room."

"It was harmless. Unfortunately what was a private prank reached the Facebook and the social media.

"However, it has come at a sensitive time when the whole nation is praying for the ill- fated MH370," said Tharmaseelan.

He said he had "reliably learned" the three nurses were not suspended, adding that HKL had acted professionally by launching an immediate investigation, which would usually result in a warning.

"We have to realise that with social media being at one's finger tips, innocent pranks can go viral and cause immense damage to the image of the caring profession if it is inappropriate and insensitive in the larger context.

"The MMA hopes it is a lesson to all involved to be more careful in future," said Tharmaseelan.