Johor bahru: The Johor State Government will enhance the recruitment process for Southern Volunteers (SV) following the arrest of a former volunteer who was detained for soliciting ward deposits at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) on April 21.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Johor Youth, Sports, Entrepreneur Development, and Cooperatives Committee Chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah announced that the individual's service was terminated last month due to inactivity. However, the individual allegedly continued to use the SV name to engage in activities at the hospital, including impersonating a hospital staff member.
Mohd Hairi stated that several criteria will be assessed before recruiting new SV volunteers to maintain the integrity and image of the organization. He emphasized a zero-tolerance policy towards such incidents, expressing his commitment to preserving the reputation of SV as a symbol of Johor. He also mentioned that the police are handling the case according to existing legal provisions.
The state government has been conducting a "cleansing" process since January, terminating inactive volunteers. Currently, only 34,000 out of over 62,000 volunteers have been retained following this exercise. SV volunteers are tasked with assisting in the smooth operations of the hospital foyer, including tasks such as pushing wheelchairs to alleviate congestion.
The Johor State Health Department (JKNJ) announced enhanced security measures, including stricter checks of staff identification cards at hospital entrances. JKNJ urged the public to report suspicious incidents to hospital security and advised ensuring payments are made only at official counters with valid receipts issued.
The department reported that hospital security detained the individual on April 21 at approximately 6:30 pm and subsequently handed her over to the police. The victim involved has been asked to file a police report.
The incident gained attention on Threads after a woman questioned the legitimacy of a ward registration deposit at the hospital. She claimed that her mother paid RM30 to the individual while registering her father for admission without receiving a receipt.