AN MCA leader has urged the Health Ministry to set a firm deadline for its workplace mental health policy, warning that prolonged delays could leave employees, including healthcare workers, without adequate support.
The party’s vice president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng’s call follows Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad’s statement on Oct 25 that the policy was still being developed, with further consultations needed before it could be finalised.
The ministry had previously targeted September or October to complete the draft.
“Policies affecting people’s lives, workplace stress and the mental well-being of frontline personnel cannot be repeatedly delayed. Consultation is important, but it cannot become an excuse for missing deadlines without accountability,” he stressed.
“Policies affecting people’s lives, workplace stress and the mental well-being of frontline personnel cannot be repeatedly delayed. Consultation is important, but it cannot become an excuse for missing deadlines without accountability.”
The proposed policy is intended to provide a broader framework for mental health at work, covering not only counselling services but also work-life balance, employee support and measures to reduce burnout and excessive workloads.
The ministry has been consulting the Human Resources Ministry, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, employers and workers’ organisations.
Wee said the urgency was underscored by the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023, which found that the number of Malaysians aged 16 and above experiencing depression had doubled from about 500,000 in 2019 to one million in 2023.
Separately, the Public Service Department’s Digital Psychological Health Profiling System identified 55,169 civil servants who were categorised as high-risk, including those with suicidal tendencies, according to figures released in September.
“With these warning signs already evident, the government cannot afford to remain at the discussion stage,” Wee noted.
“Doctors, nurses, medical assistants and other healthcare workers face prolonged shifts, staff shortages, heavy workloads, emergency duties and immense emotional pressure from patients and their families.
Their mental well-being deserves to be a priority, not an afterthought. Healthcare workers save lives every day, but who is looking after their mental health?”
Wee urged the ministry to announce a firm completion date and outline measures for early intervention, confidential counselling and access to professional mental health services.
He also called for a comprehensive approach that addressed workplace conditions, rather than relying solely on counselling after employees had developed mental health difficulties.
“The government cannot, on the one hand, demand that doctors and nurses remain professional and efficient while continuing to take on more patients, and, on the other, fail to implement a comprehensive workplace mental health policy in a timely manner,” he pointed out.
The Health Ministry has said broader consultations are necessary to ensure the policy is comprehensive and coordinated across agencies. However, Dr Dzulkefly has not announced a new completion date. ‒Oct 27, 2026
Main image: The Borneo Post
