PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry stood firm by its earlier findings that the deaths of 16 Bateq Orang Asli from Kampung Kuala Koh, Gua Musang in May and June this year were due to measles.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said four deaths were due to measles, eight died from epidemiology of measles, while the other four could not be determined because of the advanced state of decomposition.
"Based on the environmental sample analysis results and forensics report, heavy metal poisoning is not the cause of death," he said after chairing the ministry's post-cabinet meeting.
Dr Dzulkefly also said tests of water samples taken from various sources including well water and rivers had shown the heavy metal content did not reach lethal level and had complied with the water quality standards.
He attributed the measles outbreak among the Bateq tribe to several factors including low immunisation coverage and poor nutrition.
In this respect, Dr Dzulkefly said his ministry had concluded the deaths of the 16 Bateq were due to measles.
The sudden deaths of the Orang Asli in Kelantan apparently had led to foreign media questioning the government’s claim of a measles outbreak.
The Observer, a sister publication of UK newspaper The Guardian, recently cited a group of Malaysian private doctors accusing the government of a cover-up over the deaths.
According to president of the Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia Dr Steven Chow, chemical poisoning, especially manganese, could be one of the contributing factor due to the tribe’s affected immunity.
The Observer had reported that private testing conducted by the group showed unhealthy levels of metals, including manganese, and even faecal material in the Bateq’s sole water supply.
According to the report, one water source in the village even contained 25 times the limit of manganese deemed as healthy for human consumption by the Health Ministry’s own standard.
The doctors group was reported to have submitted its findings to the Health Ministry and had described the tribe’s village in Kuala Koh a “death trap”.