From Negative to Positive, Some M’sians Are Faking Their RTK Test to Skip Work

By Karissa Lund  •  16 Mar 2022 in News

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Recently, videos have been circulating on social media platforms on how the Covid-19 saliva test kit can be manipulated to give false-positive results. The methods vary but it can be as simple as using Instagram to draw a red line to mimic a positive RTK test. While it is unethical, a few desperate people have succumbed to the technique to skip work.

According to The Star, a worker at a construction company resorted to photo-editing software to falsify his self-test kit result. He then sent in the edited photo to MySejahtera and shortly later received his Home Surveillance Order.

“It is easy. Nobody can detect it unless they check the photo thoroughly,” the anonymous man said.

While in “quarantine”, he submitted his health report to MySejahtera twice a day and was not called to go to the clinic or Covid-19 assessment centre as he was not considered a high-risk patient.

Another person, who only wished to be known as Lina, used her friend’s positive self-test kit to get quarantine leave as she needed time to take care of her 2-year-old son.

“I applied for leave at first as my babysitter had to go and take care of her mother in Perak but due to shortage of staff, my application was denied. So I was forced to fake my Covid-19 test result,” she confessed.

She added that she was forced to do it but realising her action was unethical, vowed never to do it again.

Apparently, under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, which is now in force due to the pandemic, there are no powers allowing health authorities to take action against those who fake their Covid-19 test results.

“Companies can take their own action, including deduction of pay in lieu of seven days absence from work, suspension or even dismissal. We advice companies where their staff had faked their Covid-19 tests to report it to us too because it can lead them to making false medical insurance claims,” an official at the Penang Health Department said.

Meanwhile, authorities in the Health Ministry and Labour Department have not received complaints on employees faking Covid-19 results, so far.