KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Health Department has denied an Indonesian news report claiming that the internal organs of the body of one of its citizens were removed before being sent back to their country of origin.

       Sabah Health Director Datuk Dr Rose Nani Mudin said none of the patient's internal organs had been taken as alleged in the news report.

       She said the hospital only took a few tissue and organ samples measuring one inch to identify the cause of death of a foreign patient who was found dead onboard a ship on Dec 1.

       The body of the patient, identified as Saidiman Hamal, 38, was then sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital by police for a post mortem that was needed in all cases of death outside the hospital (Brought in dead).

       "The police informed that the patient did not have a next of kin in Malaysia, however, there were some individuals who claimed to be relatives of the patient and knew the next of kin in Indonesia.

       "One of the patient's relatives identified the body before the autopsy," she said in a statement Saturday (Dec 25).

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

       The victim's employer had arranged for the repatriation of the body and handed over the patient's body to his relatives and the 3M undertaker company on Dec 17.

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

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

       A news report in Indonesia said that their foreign worker was returned from Malaysia without body organs.

       The report among others highlighted relatives making the claim in Sulawesi after the body arrived.