KUALA LUMPUR — Workplace bullying in Malaysia’s public hospitals remains a deep-rooted problem that policy alone cannot solve, says Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo, who warned that weak enforcement continues to endanger both healthcare workers and patients.
Speaking on Scoop Insight, a podcast by PodaBoom, Dr Thirunavukarasu said bullying often stems from old habits within the medical hierarchy that have gone unchecked for decades.
“Some of them don’t realise that what they’re doing is a form of bullying. In my time, raising your voice was accepted,” he said.
“There was even a physician in the late 1990s who used to throw a file if you came late — he was very firm, very disciplined, and he trained many good doctors under him. That was the norm then. But things have evolved.”
He said the line between strict supervision and abuse has blurred over the years, leaving many junior doctors afraid to speak up.
“Maybe because of that, some still think it’s acceptable. So this is where the system must come in,” he added.
The MMA president said both the Health Ministry and the association have introduced support channels for doctors who face harassment, including the HelpDoc hotline launched in 2017.
“The government has a helpline. MMA also launched our HelpDoc line — any doctor who faces this can call us. We keep it anonymous and try to help,” he said.
However, he stressed that policies are only effective if they are backed by firm action.
“The important thing is that when there’s a report, there must be a transparent investigation, and action must be taken. Not every complaint is true, so the investigation must be fair. But when a complaint is valid, action must follow,” he said.
“Where we fail most of the time is enforcement. We have beautiful papers and SOPs — on paper everything looks good. But action and follow-through are what matter.”
While his comments were not linked to any specific incident, they echo long-standing concerns about hospital workplace culture in Malaysia, where allegations of bullying and overwork have periodically made headlines.
In August 2024, a government doctor in Lahad Datu, Sabah, was found dead in her home after allegedly facing prolonged harassment and excessive workload from her superiors. Her sister later claimed that she had endured verbal abuse and unreasonable demands while heading a pathology unit.
It was also previously reported that several doctors in Sabah had been subjected to verbal and physical bullying — including racial slurs, sexual insults, and even threats involving sharp instruments — if they failed to follow their seniors’ orders.
The Health Ministry has repeatedly pledged to address the issue, forming task forces and introducing awareness campaigns. But many within the profession say the culture of silence persists, especially among junior doctors and contract officers who fear reprisal.
Dr Thirunavukarasu said the medical community must move away from outdated notions of toughness and focus instead on empathy and professionalism. — October 31, 2025