MPCAM said it supports the Malaysian Medical Association’s call for MACC to investigate the allegation of a multi-billion medical supply monopoly by 20 companies with links to BN politicians. — Shutterstock.com pic via AFP

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — The Medical Practitioners Coalition Association (MPCAM) urged the government today to declassify all medical-related contracts after controversy broke over an industry insider’s claim of massive corruption in the supply of medicine amounting to billions of ringgit.

Its president Dr Peter Chan Teck Hock said there were many agreements, including health screening for foreign workers, which had been sealed under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and must be reviewed.

“All this must be reviewed as the information was never made public,” said Dr Chan in a statement.

He said MPCAM supports the Malaysian Medical Association’s call for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate the allegation of a multi-billion medical supply monopoly by 20 companies with links to Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians, including a former minister.

“If this allegation is true, it would surely have increased the cost of healthcare. It’s a great dereliction of duty on the part of the guardians of the sick and downtrodden in this country,” Dr Chan said.

A 12-page file containing names and details of the allegation was reported to have been submitted to Health Minister Dzulkifly Ahmad for action.

According to the documents that were sent to the media and sighted by Malay Mail, the 20 companies had acted as “tendering agents” over a four-year period between 2013 and 2016, reaping contracts collectively worth RM3.7 billion.

The document also revealed that there were only a few agents that carried out tendering and acted for more than 70 pharmaceutical companies.