Its president Dr Koh Kar Chai said in a statement that the association had been actively addressing the issue of bullying for years.

He was responding to the comments made by the Hartal Doktor Kontrak (HDK) group and Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy that MMA was playing down bullying cases.

“The comments they made seem to be based on a few media reports they read and not our full press statement,” he said.

“What we are saying is that it is time that bullying be properly defined to be able to identify genuine cases (and) to allow appropriate action to be taken against the perpetrators.”

He pointed out that MMA had set up its own helpline called HelpDoc in 2016.

“So, it is unfair to label MMA as not being aware of the current situation. We had the foresight to initiate action on this,” he said.

Koh added that although many have gone on social media to share their experiences, only a handful of reports had been lodged.

“It may be the tip of the iceberg, and this is indeed a cause for worry and concern,” he said, adding that those affected by bullying must not remain silent.

However, he said, the association acknowledged that the medical practice is a high-stress profession.

“MMA reiterates its stand that it does not condone any form of bullying. Period,” he said.