Ex-state dept head addressed complaint before leaving post

SUNGAI BULOH: Former Selangor health department head Datuk Dr Azman Abu Bakar admitted that he was once approached about the complaint against the orthopaedic head of department (HoD) for sexual harassment and he did warn him to “stop all the nonsense”.

Dr Azman was serving as the state health department director less than five years ago.

He said that when he was informed about the complaint, he held a meeting and told the HoD to stop his actions and thereafter, he had left the post as the state health department head.

“There was a meeting among senior clinicians and that was when things stopped (happening) and that was when I left,” said Dr Azman, who is currently the deputy Health director-general (medical), in response to a question from The Star yesterday.

Asked if the complaint was the beginning of the sexual harassment case by the HoD, he said that he was not sure but that was the first complaint he received.

Dr Azman accompanied Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad when the latter met with the Sungai Buloh hospital director, the specialists and medical officers of the orthopaedic department concerned yesterday.

Asked about some parties who had voiced concern over Dr Azman’s presence and his role in advising the Health Minister on the matter because as the former state health director, this could pose a conflict of interest, Datuk Azman said, “My conscience is clear.”