The recent passing of Dr Tay Tien Yaa has once again cast a shadow over Malaysia’s health care system, revealing the toxic undercurrent of bullying that continues to plague medical professionals.
It is deeply saddening to see another bright life lost, and this tragedy follows a similar incident two year ago in Penang, where a junior doctor undergoing housemanship took his own life.
This culture of bullying, which is entrenched within the medical fraternity, is nothing short of toxic.
I recall a conversation I once had with a senior doctor, someone in their 40s or 50s. He confidently claimed that this so-called “bully culture” was a method to mentally toughen junior doctors, to instil discipline and endurance.
While there may be a grain of truth in the need to build resilience, I find this reasoning to be complete nonsense.
The mentality that junior doctors must endure the same suffering because their seniors did is deeply flawed. This victim mentality, where one believes that “I went through this, so you must too”, is dangerous.
It does not just perpetuate a cycle of unnecessary hardship, but has also led to far too many lives being lost, with no signs of abatement.
Statistics paint a grim picture. According to a report from the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), around 20 per cent of health care professionals suffer from depression or anxiety, with young doctors being particularly vulnerable.
Between 2017 and 2021, there have been at least six reported cases of suicide among medical personnel in Malaysia. These are only the reported cases, and there could be many more unspoken tragedies swept under the rug due to the stigma surrounding mental health in the profession.
This toxic culture is not unique to the medical fraternity. I have seen it firsthand in the legal fraternity as well, where overworking, underpayment, and constant pressure are justified under the guise of “training”.
Senior lawyers often argue that these are necessary for professional growth, but in reality, it seems more like an excuse to satisfy their own needs at the expense of juniors. It’s a narrative we have to stop perpetuating.
What I truly hope for is that senior doctors — and professionals in every field — find it within themselves to reflect on the Confucian teaching “Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you”.
If we want to foster a healthier work environment, we must abandon this toxic tradition of passing down suffering and instead create systems that genuinely support the next generation.
I pray that the tragic death of Dr Tay will be the wake-up call that finally brings change to Malaysia’s medical fraternity and beyond. No profession should have a culture so toxic that it claims lives. My message to the Ministry of Health is “Stop sending condolences, take immediate action”.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
