PETALING JAYA: Even witnes­ses can report bullying cases in the Health Ministry through the MyHELP portal.

According to the Management of Bullying in the Workplace guidelines launched on Thursday, the witness can record the details of the incident, including the date, time, location, perpetrator and the victim involved.

Witnesses must be willing to cooperate by providing statements and evidence gathered to support the victim’s report.

However, they are advised not to take matters into their own hands and act against the perpetrator in a way that could worsen the situation.

Aside from that, the victim must also lodge a complaint via the MyHELP portal.

It will take the integrity unit up to 15 working days to resolve complaints that are classified under the common category.

For cases under the complex category, it can take a minimum of 16 working days to resolve.

Counselling services will also be provided to the victim for emotional and mental well-being.

Complaints on bullying cases can also be submitted through various channels, including the Public Complaints Management System, e-mail, official letters, complaint boxes, face-to-face (walk-in) complaints, and via mass media platforms.

Doctors, meanwhile, said their only concern is the protection of whistleblowers’ identities.

A medical officer in Kuala Lumpur said many are afraid to report bullying cases out of fear that the perpetrator will find out.

“There was a case of verbal abuse where, when the perpetrator found out that a complaint was lodged against him, he began to give the victim a hard time,” the doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed.

“The superior was always verbally abusing her to a point that she was depressed. Somehow, it reached the superior when a complaint was lodged.

“So we want the ministry to ensure that our identities are protected and the investigation is fair and just,” he said.

Another doctor in Penang, echoed the same sentiment, adding that the culture of seniors bullying juniors to “toughen” them up is quite common.

“They often say that they were treated that way so we too must go through it. We want protection and clear guidelines on what constitutes bullying and what does not,” he said.

Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira welcomed the guidelines.

He said the initiative came into fruition after repeated calls on the need to foster safe and respectful working environments for healthcare workers.

“We hope these guidelines will not only provide clear procedures for reporting and handling cases, but will also bring about real change on the ground.

“The well-being of healthcare workers must remain a priority, as it directly impacts the quality of care delivered to patients,” he said in a statement yesterday.

“At the same time, we wish to stress the importance of ensuring closure for cases of bullying that have already been reported.

“The MMA has, in the past, brought up cases to the attention of the Health Ministry, including a case in Sabah. For healthcare workers to have confidence in the system, it is vital that complaints are not only addressed with urgency, transparency and fairness, but also bring about closure for all affected.

“We trust that with these new guidelines in place, such cases will be resolved swiftly and that this initiative will mark the beginning of a stronger, zero-tolerance culture against bullying in our healthcare services,” he added.

The guidelines, developed by the National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health, outline a new workplace culture within the ministry that is more empathetic, professional and supportive.