KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 — Only 10 cases reported on MyHelp, the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) complaint reporting platform, have been investigated for workplace bullying among MOH staff, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said.
As of September 30, a total of 355 complaints of various issues were recorded, Dzulkefly said in a written Dewan Rakyat reply on December 10.
“Four complaints involving bullying elements were found to be substantiated, and action was taken under the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) 1993 or other applicable rules.
“Six complaints are still under investigation to confirm and verify whether they indeed involve bullying,” Dzulkefly said.
The remaining 345 complaints were related to other matters, including service-related issues, promotion requests, transfers, management inefficiencies, communication problems, and others, Dzulkefly added.
He was responding to Kuala Langat MP Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi, who sought statistics on bullying cases involving specialists, medical officers, trainee doctors, and paramedics, and questioned the effectiveness of the ministry’s current measures against bullying.
Dzulkefly stressed that the ministry “does not tolerate” any form of bullying. “Every complaint submitted will be thoroughly reviewed to verify its validity as bullying and corrective or punitive actions will be taken accordingly,” he said.
The MyHelp system was introduced on October 1, 2022, following an investigation by the Special Task Force to Improve Workplace Culture at the Ministry of Health (HWCITF). It serves as a direct channel for staff to report bullying cases to the Integrity Unit at the MOH headquarters, bypassing departmental heads.
“This procedure ensures transparency, confidentiality, and decisiveness in MOH’s efforts to address bullying,” Dzulkefly said. “Any officer who is a victim of bullying or witnesses bullying incidents can lodge a complaint without obstruction from any party.”
Issues related to house officers and the housemanship training programme are managed by the Committee for Houseman Training at the hospital level, while support services are provided through the House Officer Encouragement and Reassurance Through Sharing and Support (HEARTS) programme to help officers adapt to the hospital work environment.
For health workers facing mental health issues, including bullying, the MOH offers multiple support channels. These include emotional support and early mental health interventions through the Mental Health Crisis Hotline (HEAL 15555), which is staffed by MOH psychologists.
Other initiatives include mental health self-screenings via the MyMinda feature on the MySejahtera app, which provides educational resources and access to psychosocial support hotlines. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) teams have also been established at state, district, and hospital levels to provide early psychological assistance or Psychological First Aid (PFA).
Dzulkefly said these measures are adequate and encouraged staff to use the MyHelp system if they experience bullying and to actively participate in the available support and intervention programmes at their respective facilities.
