Healthcare bullying crisis demands equal attention and action

Borneo Post

2 days ago

David Ong
KOTA KINABALU (Aug 13): The government has been urged to give equal urgency to ending workplace bullying in the healthcare system.
Liberal Democratic Party Vice President David Ong said while the whole country is rightly focused on getting justice for 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, we must not let another tragic case be pushed aside and forgotten.
He said a female doctor from Tawau Hospital had suffered years of workplace bullying so bad that it drove her into deep depression and suicidal thoughts.
'Her story is a painful reminder that bullying is not just happening in schools — it is also destroying lives in our hospitals,' said Ong in a statement on Wednesday.
As reported on July 31, 2025, this doctor was bullied so severely by senior colleagues that she now lives shut away in poor conditions, her career and mental health in ruins. Her bullies, meanwhile, have gone overseas for specialist training as if nothing happened. While the nation mourns Zara, this doctor continues to suffer in silence — still alive, but broken by a system that failed to protect her.
The numbers are shocking. Between 2022 and March 2024, 355 complaints of workplace bullying were reported through the Ministry of Health's MyHelp channel.
Ong said out of these, only 10 cases were investigated — just 2.8%. Only four were proven — just 1.1% of all complaints. Even in cases involving physical assault, the punishment was nothing more than a warning letter.
'This is not just inefficiency — it looks like deliberate neglect,' he said.
Ong said for too long, the Ministry of Health had chosen to protect bullies instead of victims. Known bullies are simply transferred to other locations instead of being punished. Some even get rewarded with training abroad. Victims are pressured to stay quiet, and cases are covered up to 'protect the ministry's image.' In short, hundreds of healthcare workers have been abandoned by the very system they work for.
He pointed out that Zara's case and the Tawau doctor's case are different in details but the same in principle — both show how institutions protect wrongdoers and fail victims. The only difference is that Zara's case has made national headlines, while the doctor's case is barely mentioned.
'We call on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to give the same priority to stopping healthcare bullying as is being given to Zara's case. Investigate all 355 complaints immediately. Set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to uncover the truth. We call on Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad to take responsibility for this failure. All bullying cases and punishments must be made public, and confirmed bullies who caused harm should face criminal charges. We also urge the Attorney General to investigate whether ministry leaders have been negligent and to charge bullies under harassment laws,' said Ong.
'Every day we wait, more healthcare workers are suffering in silence. More are quitting the profession.
Patient care gets worse. Our healthcare system's reputation is damaged. Families are torn apart by tragedies that could have been prevented.
'We will not accept selective justice — where some victims get attention and others are ignored. We will not accept a 2.8% investigation rate for serious workplace complaints. We will not accept warning letters for physical assaults. We demand equal media attention for all victims, proper punishment for bullies, immediate protection for those still being harassed, and real reform in how our hospitals handle workplace abuse,' he added.
Ong stressed that the fight for justice for Zara must also be the fight for justice for the Tawau doctor and every healthcare worker suffering abuse.
'If we only stand up for one victim while ignoring another, we are part of the problem.
Malaysia's healthcare system is becoming known worldwide for bullying — and not in a good way. Many of our doctors and nurses are leaving, not just for better pay but to escape a toxic environment. This is not only a healthcare problem — it is a national emergency. Every one of the 355 cases must be answered for. Every victim deserves justice. Every bully must face the consequences.
Justice delayed is justice denied. Justice that is selective is justice corrupted. 'We will not stop until workplace bullying in healthcare is wiped out and those responsible are held accountable — whether it's for Zara, for the Tawau doctor, or for any victim of institutional abuse in Malaysia,' he said.