Doctor fined RM120,000 for not registering clinic

NST: KUALA LUMPUR: A doctor who has operated his clinic for 10 years without registering it was fined RM120,000 by the Sessions Court yesterday.
Dr Basmullah Yusom earned the dubious reputation of being the first person in the country to be convicted under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998.
Dr Basmullah, 44, had been operating the Al-Hilal Medical Centre Sdn Bhd at No 55, Jalan 5/76B, Desa Pandan, off Jalan Kampung Pandan, since 1998.
The father of eight, who was charged on Dec 13 last year, had pleaded guilty to committing the offence at the premises at 10pm on July 11 last year.
Sentencing was fixed for yesterday. Under the act, he was liable to a maximum fine of RM500,000.
In mitigation, Dr Basmullah, who was unrepresented, pleaded for leniency, saying he did not register his clinic as he wanted to sell it and that he was not the only person running the clinic.
"I have financial problems and I still have to pay RM7,000 for the clinic and RM10,000 in personal loan," he said.
"My wife is not working and I am the sole breadwinner for my family."
Dr Basmullah said he had since moved to Putrajaya claiming it was cheaper to live there and that he had sold his car and was using a motorcycle.
"This financial burden is already a punishment itself for my mistake. I promise not to commit any offence again."
DPP Norfiza Mohamed Noordin from the Health Ministry pressed for a deterrent sentence.
"Unlicensed clinics make it hard for the ministry to monitor them to ensure that they do not illegally sell drugs or conduct illegal abortions. This is to ensure public safety.
"Being busy and having financial problems are not excuses for not registering the clinic," she said.
Judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah fined Dr Basmullah RM120,000 or three months' jail.
At Press time, he had not paid the fine and was taken to the Kajang prison.