Nepalese guard caught playing doctor

KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 —A Nepalese has been caught operating as a “doctor” running an illegal clinic in the city, despite having arrived in the country with a permit to work as a security guard

The 42-year-old’s “clinic”, located on the fourth floor of Plaza Taleju in Jalan Silang, bore a signboard in Nepalese, to prevent detection by the authorities.

It catered only to the “doctor’s” compatriots who were diagnosed and prescribed medicine for a reasonable fee.

However, the masquerade came to an end today when an integrated operation mounted by the authorities uncovered the illegal clinic.

The authorities involved officers from the immigration department, police, Rela and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

DBKL health and environment assistant officer Shafie Phen said: “The ‘doctor’ entered Malaysia using a work permit for security guard, but we wonder how he could open a clinic instead.

“Although he claimed to have experience as a paramedic in Nepal’s military service, it is not recognised here,” he told reporters at his office after the raid.

Shafie said the man was believed to have “provided” medical services for over a year.

“He was handed over to the immigration department to facilitate investigations under the Immigration Act 1963,” he said.

The two-hour operation which began at noon, was aimed at rounding up illegal immigrants at several locations in the city.

During the operation, 15 hawker stalls operated by foreigners in Selayang were sealed, while closure orders were issued to six other premises in Jalan Silang for law violations.

Ninety-one people from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Nepal, aged between 20 and 50, were also nabbed at Central Market, Chow Kit and Petaling Street areas for not having valid travel documents. Nineteen of them are women.

All of them were taken to the immigration department’s temporary detention depot in Putrajaya for further investigation. — Bernama