Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi, the chairman of PN’s health committee, said an independent body was necessary to ensure that investigations into any alleged bullying are not carried out by the healthcare facilities involved.

Yunus also called for the report by the Healthcare Work Culture Improvement Task Force (HWCITF), which critics had previously described as sloppy and had barely analysed the problem it was tasked to look into, to be reviewed.

The task force was set up in 2022 to investigate the death of a junior doctor at Penang Hospital in April that year and the bullying culture at government hospitals.

“We also urge for bullying cases to be tabled to the special select committee on health and for it to involve stakeholders so that this matter can be resolved effectively,” he said in a statement.

The proposal by the opposition comes in the wake of the death of Dr Tay Tien Yaa, a pathologist at Lahad Datu Hospital, Sabah, on Aug 29.

According to Tay’s sister, bullying may have been one of the factors that led to her death.

On Monday, health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad called for further investigation into Tay’s death, saying he had “zero tolerance towards bullying”.

Yunus said healthcare workers were a critical asset to the nation, and their well-being should be looked after.

“We often demand that they give their best to the patients and it is time we gave our best to them (the healthcare workers),” he said.