Independent task force set up to probe death of Dr Tay

PETALING JAYA: An independent Special Task Force has been set up to investigate the incident of the death of a pathology specialist in Lahad Datu, announces Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

The Health Minister said the task force, which takes effect from Oct 10, would be chaired by former Public Services Department director-general Tan Sri Borhan Dollah.

Dzulkefly said the task force would be responsible for conducting an investigation and analysing input from the investigation into the death of the chemical pathology specialist in Lahad Datu as well as examining the work culture at Lahad Datu Hospital.

Borhan, he added, has extensive experience holding various key positions in public service, with his last position being the Director General of Public Services.

Dr Tay Tien Yaa, a pathology specialist at Hospital Lahad Datu, was found dead in her rental unit on August 29, following allegations of workplace bullying.

She was the head of the hospital’s Chemical Pathology Unit and lived alone in her rental accommodation.

On Tuesday (Oct 1), her brother, Tay Yong Shen, 31, said his sister showed no signs of depression or intentions to end her life, adding that the family had discovered evidence in her WhatsApp conversations of her workload and how she was treated.

Besides Borhan, other members on the task force are Pro Datuk Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir, Datuk Dr Azman Abu Bakar, Datuk Mohamad Fazin Mahmud, Datuk Prof Dr Looi Lai Meng and Prof Dr Chan Lai Fong.

“The Special Task Force will consist of five independent members, not from the Health Ministry who are knowledgeable and have expertise in areas such as medicine, psychiatry, pathology, mental health, and bullying behaviour.

“The task force will also be responsible for identifying and confirming whether bullying behaviour exists at Lahad Datu Hospital in general and specifically in the Pathology Department of the hospital, identifying the types of bullying behaviour that tend to occur within the Health Ministry, and the internal and external factors that contribute to such behaviour,” said Dzulkefly.

The task force will also prepare a report on the findings of the investigation related to the death along with recommendations for improvements to prevent and address bullying behaviour at healthcare facilities within three months from the date of establishment.

Dr Siti Hamisah is the former secretary-general of the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, while Dr Azman is the former Health (Medicine) deputy director-general.

Fazin has previously served as the Legal Advisor for the Health Ministry.

Prof Looi is the first distinguished Professor in Malaysia in the field of Pathology and currently holds the position of Senior Consultant at the University of Malaya Medical Centre while Prof Chan is Senior Consultant Specialist (Psychiatry) at the Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia since 2024, with expertise in suicide prevention.