KUALA TERENGGANU: Terengganu police have arrested a private clinic doctor suspected of issuing fake COVID-19 vaccination certificates.

Terengganu Police chief Datuk Rohaimi Md Isa said the 51-year-old man was picked up on Saturday at his clinic in Marang near here following a complaint from members of the public.

"Preliminary investigations revealed that a total of 1,900 individuals were found to be dealing with this clinic (for vaccination purposes) and out of that number we are still investigating how many did not get injections, but got fake vaccination certificates.

"It is understood that those who want to get this fake vaccination certificate need to pay between RM400 and RM600 compared to the actual price of RM300 for the shot," he told a press conference at the Terengganu Police Contingent headquarters here today.

It is believed that there are also individuals from outside the state who went to the doctor to obtain fake vaccination certificates, he said.

"Most of the customers dealt with the doctor via online, so we will try to get information from emails in the laptop that was also confiscated from the clinic," he said.

Rohaimi said the doctor was also believed to have carried out the activity alone in the treatment room without the help of other clinic staff.

"Even though the doctor admitted to being an anti-vaxxer, he has already received the vaccine shot, probably because of his work," he said.

He said the suspect was also believed to have used an agent who was given a commission of RM50 to promote his services and that the case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

At the same press conference, Terengganu Health Department director Datuk Dr Kasemani Embong said the private clinic was allowed to provide COVID-19 vaccinations for a fee since September last year.

It was also found that the clinic had applied to be used as a COVID-19 vaccination centre (PPV), but the application has not been approved, she said.

-- BERNAMA