The apology came after criticism on social media following a Facebook posting by a user known as Nur Sheila Abdullah.

Nur Sheila said she regretted the action by EPF staff who demanded that her sister, a bed-ridden cancer patient, come to the Johor Bahru office personally to make a withdrawal of RM10,000.

Sheila had also alleged that security officers at the Johor Bahru EPF office chased her sister’s rented ambulance away to the back of the building because of their difficulty in dropping her off in front.

The EPF said in a statement today: “We contacted the member and her family so that we could further understand this issue. We will also use this experience to improve our service to other members.”

Sheila’s posting said her sister was too fragile even to lift her finger.

“Only after my sister had her withdrawal sorted out did we find out that it was not necessary for her to come in after all,” she said in the posting.

She urged the EPF to review its procedures for members who are ill but who wished to make withdrawals.

Her posting has been shared more than 9,000 times, and some Facebook users criticised EPF over the case.