No bogus MOH team making rounds as alleged in viral video, say cops

SHAH ALAM: There is no bogus Health Ministry team going around in a van with fake number plates, say the police.

Speaking in response to a police report received on Sunday (June 14) about the matter and a viral video that has been going around, Shah Alam OCPD Asst Comm Baharudin Mat Taib said that there was a misunderstanding between the complainant and the team at the house at Bukit Subang.

“The number plate in the viral video was wrong, ” he said in a statement Monday (June 15).

ACP Baharudin said that the three individuals in the video were verified to be staff from the Health Ministry and he added that the van was owned by the Petaling District office of the Health Ministry.

“The Health Ministry has lodged a report on Monday to verify that its team had gone to the location in question for Covid-19 monitoring at around 2pm on Sunday.

“The public must cease sharing the viral video, pictures and messages immediately," he said.

The one-minute and 10-second video went viral on social media and WhatsApp, showing three men getting out of an ambulance wearing plainclothes.

An accompanying message stated that the men came to a house in Setia Alam, adding that the men said that they are from the Health Ministry.

The message added that plate number on the van - WSB5323 – was registered to a MyVi and that these people should not be allowed to enter homes because the Health Ministry would make an announcement or contact homeowners before coming.

Responding to concerns that the video raised, Senior Minister (Security) Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that the Health Ministry does not carry out house-to-house swab tests unless the residents are in an enhanced movement control order (MCO) area.

The public should be wary of those who come knocking on their door, claiming they are there to do such tests, as they may fall prey to scams, either to cheat or to commit crime such as robbery, he said in his daily briefing earlier Monday.