Malaysian doctor found dead at home in Sabah was not bullied; work stress a ‘major factor’: Probe
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad vows to improve the situation at the department where pathologist Tay Tien Yaa worked. Her family had alleged she was “mistreated (and) oppressed” by a colleague.
Tay Tien Yaa, 30, headed the Chemical Pathology Unit at Hospital Lahad Datu and was found dead in her rental home on Aug 29, 2024. (Photo: Facebook/YS Tay)
PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian doctor found dead in her rental home in Sabah last year was not bullied or mistreated at her workplace but had faced extreme pressure, a probe into her death found.
Following an independent taskforce’s report on the death of pathologist Tay Tien Yaa, Malaysia’s Health Ministry vowed on Wednesday (Jan 22) to take immediate action to address work stress at the department where she worked.
At a press conference on the taskforce’s report, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad called work pressure the “main highlight” of the findings.
“I will take special action to address the issue of limited resources, which was a major factor contributing to the stress and pressure Dr Tay experienced. I will take steps to improve the situation and alleviate the pressure experienced by the Pathology Department,” he said, as reported by the New Straits Times.
Tay, 30, headed the Chemical Pathology Unit at Hospital Lahad Datu and was found dead on Aug 29 last year. According to family members, she had started working at the hospital in February last year and a senior colleague had allegedly “mistreated (and) oppressed” her.
On Oct 17, Dzulkefly pledged full transparency on the case and an independent task force was given a three-month mandate to examine allegations that workplace bullying contributed to her suspected suicide.
At Wednesday’s press conference, taskforce chairman Borhan Dollah said: “Based on our investigation, no conflict arose between her and the department head. They worked professionally. This can be proven from interviews with their colleagues and subordinates.”
Nineteen witnesses including four family members and 11 hospital staff were interviewed, he said.
“We found that the tasks carried out were as specified in the list of duties and job descriptions, with none extending beyond her scope or outside her field of duties,” added Borhan, a former director-general of Public Service.
Commenting on Tay’s move to Sabah, Borhan said Tay was a “city girl” who had moved to a new location with a different culture all by herself, reported Free Malaysia Today.
He said there was no evidence that an application to be posted to West Malaysia was ignored and Tay did not file any appeal with the state health department or ministry’s human resources department to remain in the peninsula.
Tay’s move from the better-resourced Kuala Lumpur Hospital to Lahad Datu Hospital in Sabah contributed significantly to the stress and pressure she faced, said Dzulkefly.
“According to the experts leading the taskforce, the bullying allegations did not meet the definition of bullying but were related to factors such as extreme work pressure that mentally affected the late Dr Tay,” he said, as quoted by Malay Mail.
The minister said the taskforce’s findings have been conveyed to Tay’s family.
“That’s the finding (after) three months (of) investigation,” Tay’s brother, YS Tay, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday as he shared a Chinese-language news outlet’s post.
“I fully understand how difficult it must be for the family to process these findings,” Dzulkefly said, adding that he is committed to addressing bullying in the workplace.
The independent task force has also submitted several recommendations to the health ministry, including for the provision of better support for healthcare workers posted away from home to help them adapt to different cultures and environments, said Borhan.
