By Dorcas Ting
KUCHING, March 6: A man was sentenced to serve a six-month peace bond for impersonating a medical assistant (MA) at Sarawak General Hospital (HUS).
Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali imposed the sentence on Richard Layau Jolin, 24, from Serian, after he pleaded guilty to the charge under Section 67 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
According to the case details, the complainant, a MA at HUS, conducted surveillance on Feb 28, 2024, around 9am and found an unidentified man dressed in MA uniform (the accused) behaving suspiciously.
The complainant, along with a colleague, then approached the accused and inquired about his duty unit. However, the accused provided answers which only raised suspicions.
Subsequently, the complainant verified with the hospital’s personnel department that the accused was not an employee of the hospital.
Several days later, the complainant detained the accused and handed him over to security personnel at the HUS police post, where the accused was subsequently apprehended by Central Police Station officers.
Investigations revealed that the accused had been impersonating an MA since early December 2023 and would visit HUS almost every morning, wandering around the building’s exterior.
However, it was reported that the accused did not enter restricted areas of the hospital but only provided directions to visitors who came to the hospital for treatment purposes.
Furthermore, the accused obtained a MA uniform online for RM80, and made an employee card at a Serian shop for RM5.
Further investigations found that the accused acted in such a manner due to pressure and demands from his family, who wanted to see him working as an MA in a government hospital.
The accused, who failed to complete his university studies and currently does not hold a steady job, felt compelled to impersonate a MA to appease his family.
Additionally, the investigation revealed that the accused’s family often compared him to his brother, who is a public servant, causing the accused to feel inadequate.
The prosecution was conducted by ASP Arman Ibrahim, while the accused was not represented by legal counsel. — DayakDaily
