“Baik, Boss”: How The New Workplace Bullying Laws Challenge Malaysia’s Organisational Culture Norms

By Alia Huzaidi

In every workplace, there are unspoken rules. You know this, I know this, we all know this. It's this hum underlying our every behavior — every habit formed, every word we choose to use tends to adhere to a silent set of guidelines. This is what we call organisational culture.

When news broke that Malaysia had officially passed a law criminalizing workplace bullying, it triggered a long-overdue reckoning: are the very cultural traits we take pride in also enabling toxic behaviors at work?

The New Law and Recognising Mental Distress

In July 2025, amendments to the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code, particularly Sections 507B to 507G, marked a turning point in how Malaysia approaches workplace psychological safety –  treating bullying not as trivial "office politics," but as a criminal act with penalties up to three years imprisonment.

The Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2025 and the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Act 2025, which came into force in July 2025, signals a clear message: bullying can no longer be dismissed as unpleasant workplace dynamics. There are now stronger expectations for organisations to re-evaluate communication norms, recognize harmful behaviors, and build systems that protect employee wellbeing and offer psychological safety.

But here's the issue: Laws may hold people accountable, but they can't dismantle the cultural programming that enables toxic behavior. And transforming organisational culture, despite the sentimentality we attach to it, is what Malaysia's workplaces need most.

The Culture That Shapes Us Can Hurt Us

It's easy to outline what we already know to be harmful behavior, but there are habits deeply intertwined in our cultural fabric that still hold us back from truly embracing the current movement toward a healthy organisational culture at work.

1. We Worship Authority a Little Too Much

   
   

Malaysian organisations rank highest globally in Hofstede’s Power Distance Index – cue a very hesitant “Malaysia Boleh!”. This means we really, really respect hierarchy and top-down decision-making.

While this creates clear leadership structures, it also creates perfect conditions for workplace bullying in the form of power abuse. When hierarchy becomes absolute, questioning becomes insubordination. Employees endure mistreatment not just from fear of retaliation, but from deeply ingrained cultural programming about "respect."

Building psychological safety means creating channels where employees can voice concerns without fear, even when it challenges authority.

2. Our "Family" Culture Can Be Exclusive

   
   

We love how much we treat each other like family, calling every street and/or TikTok vendor as an “Abang”, “Sis”, or “Uncle”. Malaysian collectivism fosters beautiful traditions of mutual support, but it can also create nasty forms of exclusion at work.

The warmth and protection we offer our "in-group" comes at the cost of coldness toward those we deem outsiders. 

This shows up as workplace cliques, WhatsApp groups created to gossip about the alienated, and knowing glances across meeting rooms whenever someone they dislike tries to speak up.

Now, imagine being the excluded person, where their worth is determined not by their contributions, but by their membership to the right networks, their ability to speak the right languages, or the connections to the right people.

3. “Saving Face” Breeds Silent Suffering

   
   

There’s this term that pops up when we discuss Malaysian office politics: “Muka” (face). “Bermuka-muka” (two-faced), “jaga muka” (save face), and “bagi muka” (cater to someone’s ego), these phrases reveal our deep obsession with reputation.

Yes, yes it is.

This creates a communication culture built on hints and implications. We say things without actually saying them. In avoiding conflict, we leave eggshells for people to step on and avoid accountability when they do.

This environment is perfect for workplace bullying behaviors that are nearly impossible to prove because they live in pregnant pauses, awkward smiles, and the spaces between words. Victims feel isolated and helpless because the harm is real, but the evidence is invisible.

Keep the Good, Lose the Bad

Don't get me wrong, there are many great things these traits have contributed to the way we treat one another. There is something profoundly homey and warm about our dedication to each other, our respect for our elders, and our desire to uphold and protect the reputation of those we care about.

But it is these exact linkages that hold us together that end up creating an organisational culture that alienates those who are harmed and thus excluded from our warm little bubble. The challenge isn't abandoning our cultural values, it's evolving them to exclude their harmful sides. 

This means building hierarchies based on expertise rather than arbitrary power. It means fostering inclusion that expands rather than contracts. It means developing communication styles that are both respectful and direct.

Real harmony doesn't come from timid silence and enforced “politeness”, it comes from creating spaces where all voices can be heard safely — the very definition of psychological safety.

Why People & Culture Can’t Stay on the Sidelines

The anti-workplace bullying law is just the beginning. Laws provide frameworks and consequences, but lasting change requires Malaysian organisations to fundamentally consider the critical role of People & Culture in Malaysia.

For too long, HR in Malaysia has been seen primarily as a compliance arm: payroll, hiring, discipline, policy. Necessary, yes. But with workplace bullying now a criminal offence, we need something bigger than enforcement. We need intentional cultural dissection and transformation.

This transformation means questioning whether practices we've long considered "just our way" actually serve everyone. It means embedding People & Culture functions into the very core of organisational strategy, despite the temporary discomfort of change. 

Malaysia’s Organisational Culture Moving Forward

The anti-bullying law is historic, but it is only the beginning. The real revolution lies in how Malaysian organisations choose to respond.

The most successful companies will be those with an organisational culture that embraces the Malaysian values that elevates People & Culture, putting forward the best we have to offer – our warmth, our loyalty, our respect – as a strategic driver of success. 

At the same time, People & Culture leaders must champion not just compliance but transformation, ensuring that practices truly align with the new law and fostering environments of psychological safety.

Because at the end of the day, we can be proudly Malaysian without being harmfully Malaysian. The law has given us the push, now it's time for the real cultural work to begin — and it starts with People & Culture taking the lead.

If your organisation is ready to build a healthier, more inclusive culture, let’s talk! Reach out to us at cheng@midp.edu.my and request for a free proposal on how we can help you take the first step toward transforming your workplace culture!