KUALA LUMPUR: An accounts clerk believes there were elements of negligence involved when his father contracted Covid-19 and subsequently died at a home for the elderly in Petaling Jaya.

       Yan Chee Chung, 39, said his 74-year-old father, Yan Ah Khoon, had been placed under the care of the centre in Petaling Jaya Old Town since December 2018.

       He said his father tested positive for Covid-19 on Aug 25 and was hospitalised the next day.

       "He died of pneumonia on Aug 31," he told reporters at the MCA headquarters here on Wednesday (Nov 24).

       He said that when he registered his father at the centre, the operators assured him they had all the relevant permits and licences to operate.

       "However, I found out from the Welfare Department that the centre is unlicensed," he asked.

       He said he believed some elements of negligence to be involved in how his father contracted the virus, allegedly from an employee there.

       "Why was an unlicensed centre operating for so long without authorities sniffing it out?" he asked.

       MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said based on checks, many such centres were operating without licences.

       "Our Crisis Relief Squad (CRSM) checks have revealed that many of these so-called centres are only registered with the Malaysia Companies Commission (SSM)," he said.

       Chong urged the public to check with relevant authorities before registering their family members at elderly care centres.