He said only a few pathology department staff members involved in drug testing, including pathologists and laboratory assistants, were being investigated and had been transferred.

“If those under investigation are found to have broken the law, they will face legal action.

“However, if they are innocent, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) needs to speed up its investigations to clear their names and that of the pathology department involved,” Ling told Bernama at his office in Kota Iskandar here.

He said he was also confident the staff at the hospital’s pathology department would adhere to the new SOP.

He added that the state government views the case very seriously and the state health department (JKN) and the hospital involved have fully cooperated with the MACC in its investigation.

Previously, it was reported that MACC had arrested a pathology officer of a hospital on suspicion of bribing a state hospital pathologist in connection with a urine screening test.

The arrest was made following the possibility that hundreds of drug suspects may have to be released and re-investigated, due to the pathologist’s actions.

Several media reports stated that the MACC investigation found 33 narcotics criminal investigation department (NCID) officers and assistant investigating officers statewide had allegedly been involved with the pathologist since 2018.

On Jan 10, Johor police chief Kamarul Zaman Mamat was reported to have said that police had initiated disciplinary investigations against a number of the 33 officers and personnel connected with a corruption case involving a hospital pathologist.

Kamarul Zaman said those involved have been transferred from their workplace so they will no longer perform the same tasks until the investigation is completed.