GEORGE TOWN, May 11 — Penang state exco Dr Norlela Ariffin has submitted the names of five doctors allegedly involved in bullying trainee doctors at the Penang Hospital to the Health Ministry.

The state health committee chairman said she had submitted the names and departments of the doctors who were known as the ‘most famous toxic ones’ in the hospital while there were others that ‘were not as bad’.

"I sent the names and departments of the five alleged bullies to the health minister to check,” she said. 

She added that the minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, has since replied to her information. 

"The names are not about this particular death per se because this case is under investigation,” she stressed, referring to the case where a houseman fell to his death on April 17. 

She said the Negri Sembilan health exco had also submitted two names to the ministry so she wanted to make it clear that she, too, had submitted names to the ministry. 

The death of the houseman, who had only been posted to the Penang Hospital on April 4, was classified as sudden death by the police but has since sparked calls by various parties, including Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, for a special committee to be set up to investigate the case. 

Khairy reportedly said the ministry will be setting up an independent task force to probe claims of bullying at the hospital and the death of the houseman.