KOTA KINABALU: The state Health Department has dispelled Indonesian news reports claiming that the internal organs of one its citizens were removed before being sent back to Indonesia.

       A hospital would only take several tissue and organ samples measuring an inch to identify the cause of death of the fishing crew member who was found dead on board a ship on Dec 1, said Sabah Health director Datuk Dr Rose Nani Mudin.

       None of his internal organs had been taken as alleged, she said in a statement on Saturday.

       The body of Saidiman Hamal, 38, was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital here by police for a post-mortem, which is required in all death outside the hospital cases (brought in dead).

       Police told the hospital personnel that the man had no next of kin in Malaysia, she said.

       However, she said some individuals later claimed to be his relatives and that they knew his next of kin in Indonesia.

       “One of the patient’s relatives identified the body before the autopsy,” she said.

       She said an autopsy found that the cause of death was lung infection and heart disease.

       Saidiman’s employer had arranged for the repatriation of the body and handed over the remains to his relatives and an undertaker company on Dec 17.

       She said the body was also taken to the mosque to be bathed before being sent to the Kota Kinabalu International Airport. The remains arrived in Indonesia on Dec 20.

       “All post-mortem arrangements and the process of returning the body to family members were done according to the guidelines that have been set, so there is no issue of internal organs being taken as alleged in Indonesian news reports,” she added.

       News reports in Indonesia said the deceased returned from Malaysia without body organs.

       Apparently, his relatives had made the claim in Sulawesi after the body arrived.