PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry’s proposal to develop a workplace mental health policy has been warmly received, with experts saying it is a vital shift to treat it as an organisational responsibility.
Responding to the ministry’s latest proposal, health service professionals said that both public and private sector workers face similar workplace pressures.
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Malaysian Mental Health Association president Prof Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj said the proposal represented an important shift from viewing mental health solely as an individual medical issue to recognising it as an organisational responsibility.
“A workplace mental health policy is not simply about providing counselling services. It is about creating healthier systems of work that protect psychological well-being while improving organisational performance,” he said.
In a written parliamentary reply this week, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the proposed mental health policy for the workplace is meant to create a conducive, safe and harmonious working environment, and more so in view of reports stating that more than 40,000 civil servants face psychological issues.
Dr Mohanraj said conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress-related disorders and burnout had become significant public health and economic concerns, contributing to absenteeism, presenteeism, increased medical leave, staff turnover, and lower productivity.
A comprehensive workplace mental health policy, he added, could support earlier identification of concerns, improve work-life balance, increase job satisfaction and reduce burnout risks.
“For the civil service, the policy could result in lower absenteeism and presenteeism, higher output and innovation, and better team collaboration and communication,” he said.
However, Dr Mohanraj cautioned that the initiative should not become “merely another administrative intervention”, stressing that success would depend on implementation, leadership commitment, adequate funding and continuous assessment.
He said workplace mental health standards should include measures such as anti-bullying policies, confidential employee assistance services, mental health literacy programmes, psychosocial risk assessments, and return-to-work support.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Employers Federation president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said while the move was needed, any framework must be practical, flexible and avoid unnecessary compliance burdens, particularly for small and medium enterprises.
“A well-designed workplace mental health policy can promote early identification and intervention, reduce absenteeism, burnout and turnover, improve employee engagement and productivity, create healthier workplaces, and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health,” he said.
Syed Hussain stressed that workplace mental health should be a shared responsibility involving employers, employees, healthcare professionals and government agencies.
He said a “one-size-fits-all” approach would not work as businesses range from multinational corporations with extensive support programmes to SMEs with limited resources.
“Implementation should remain flexible, allowing organisations to adopt measures appropriate to their size, industry, workforce profile and operational realities,” he said.
He added that the government should support businesses through incentives, grants, practical guidelines, training programmes and public-private partnerships to ensure the policy benefits both employees and employers.
