Dzulkefly: Celebrities sang without charge at Health Ministry's Raya event
KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 — Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad has clarified that no payment was made to several high-profile entertainers who performed at the Health Ministry's Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration on Tuesday.
In a brief statement addressing public curiosity about the event's expenses today, Dzulkefly said the performances by Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin, Norsyarmilla Jirin (popularly known as Mila AF), and Datuk Jamal Abdillah were done voluntarily, in conjunction with the attendance of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and ministry staff.
'Tok Ti (Siti Nurhaliza) attended as a guest representative of Yayasan Nurjiwa. Mila AF also did not charge a fee,' he said, confirming that Siti Nurhaliza herself had stated she was not paid for the performance.
As for veteran crooner Jamal Abdillah, the Kuala Selangor MP added that the singer and actor received only 'a token of appreciation'.
Previously, Jamal reportedly said he had agreed to perform at the event after receiving an invitation from the ministry secretary-general, who is a personal acquaintance.
Earlier today, Siti took to Instagram Stories to clarify that she was not paid to perform at the Health Ministry's Hari Raya open house on Tuesday, saying she was there purely as a guest.
'I sang to show appreciation to MOH staff — out of goodwill, and without payment,' she wrote.
The 'Aku Bidadari Syurgamu' singer said she felt compelled to speak up as her name was being dragged into an online storm.
'I don't want more people fuelling the fire just because my name was mentioned in reports about the event.
'As I said, I didn't ask for any payment. I attended as a guest and sang voluntarily.
'This clarification matters — don't use my name or image in news that isn't accurate,' she added.
The event drew heavy backlash from the healthcare fraternity, netizens and politicians alike.
According to The Star, many criticised the inclusion of high-profile celebrities, arguing it stood in stark contrast to the ongoing struggles faced by healthcare workers.
Pressure group Hartal Doktor Kontrak also slammed the ministry's leadership, accusing them of being out of touch.
'The Health Ministry staff are happy, even though their on-call or overtime allowance is very low, claims get rejected all the time, equipment cannot be purchased due to the lack of allocations, but at least the ministry's top management can have fun with famous artistes,' the group wrote in a Facebook post.
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