Malaysia's Ministry of Health aims to finalize the draft of its workplace mental health policy by September or October 2026, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said after the 2026 Merdeka Celebration programme in Negeri Sembilan at Hospital Rembau [1, 2, 3].
The policy seeks to create a safe, conducive, and harmonious work environment to address mental health challenges faced by employees. It will go beyond counselling to include work-life balance initiatives and employee support mechanisms. The ministry aims to help workplaces reduce risks of burnout and excessive workload among workers [1, 2, 3].
Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad highlighted the timeline, saying, "We are looking at a timeline of around September or October to give our team sufficient time to conduct the engagement sessions and subsequently develop the policy and guidelines. This is very important because mental health challenges must be given due attention" [2].
The development process involves multiple stakeholders including the Ministry of Human Resources, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, the Malaysian Employers Federation, and the Malaysian Trades Union Congress participating in engagement sessions [1, 2, 3].
Alongside the mental health policy efforts, the Ministry of Health continues to strengthen hospital services nationwide through a cluster hospital concept. This includes upgrading non-specialist hospitals to offer selected specialist services. Specialist disciplines being strengthened include paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology, and ear, nose and throat departments. Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad noted, "The improvements are not limited to upgrading hospitals to provide selected specialist services, but also involve strengthening specialist disciplines, including paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G), ophthalmology, and ear, nose and throat (ENT) services" [1, 2, 3].
The ministry first announced plans to develop the workplace mental health policy in mid-July 2026 to align with Sustainable Development Goals. Since then, the team has been conducting consultations ahead of the policy draft's expected finalisation by early autumn [1, 2, 3].
