GEORGE TOWN, Sept 4 — Three orthopaedic specialists and 30 individuals have been remanded for three days to assist in investigations into RM2.1 million worth of false Social Security Organisation (Socso) disability claims.

The group were made to appear before the magistrates court in George Town at 9am while wearing the bright orange lock-up attire of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

According to MACC sources, among the individuals remanded were 19 claimants, eight agents, and three runners.

"The doctors involved are orthopaedic specialists from two government hospitals and a private hospital in Seberang Jaya. The doctors are aged 36, 50, and 57 years,” the MACC source said.

The 33 individuals, aged between 26 and 60 years’ old, were detained during an MACC operation yesterday and immediately detained after their statements were recorded at the MACC office in Penang.

It is believed that syndicate’s modus operandi was to make false claims related to spinal and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

"The claimants would receive 50 per cent of the funds, while the remaining 50 per cent would be divided among the doctors, agents, and runners,” said the source.

It is also believed that each doctor would receive about RM10,000 per claim but the sum varied according to the total claims.

The group is believed to have been active since 2017, and more arrests are expected.

The case will be investigated under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009, which pertains for falsified claims.

In July, Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran urged the Ministry of Human Resources to look into allegations that several doctors handling Socso disability claims had been suspended due to their connections with the syndicate.

Lingeshwaran, a former director of Sungai Bakap Hospital, said there were 683 false disbursements from 2018 to 2022 involving approximately RM43 million, of which 16 were linked to a specific doctor whose service was terminated after the scandal was exposed.