SINGAPORE: Workplace bullying in Malaysia is no longer something to be quietly “managed by HR (Human Resources)”. And perhaps it wasn’t widely known just yet that, since July 2025, workplace bullying has become a criminal offence with real penalties, real jail time, and real consequences for both employers and employees.
That shift has sparked intense discussion among Singaporeans after a TikTok photo-slide video by HR Update Malaysia, produced in collaboration with job portal A Job Thing, went viral. The video, titled “Workplace bullying is no longer ‘just HR’s problem’”, has racked up close to 500,000 views and nearly 30,000 likes, striking a nerve among workers across the region, including Singapore.
One Singaporean on the Reddit forum reacting to the video exclaimed, “Workplace bullying is now a crime and outlawed in Malaysia. Singapore should do this too… can’t wait to see some of those bullies in jail.” It was a comment that quickly drew agreement, dark humour, and frustration, reflecting how normalised bullying still feels in many workplaces.
Malaysia explicitly criminalises workplace bullying
Starting 11 July 2025, Malaysia enforces amendments to its Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code that explicitly criminalise bullying, harassment, intimidation, and cyberbullying in the workplace.
What once sat in a grey area of internal policies and “personality clashes” is now firmly a legal issue. Under the amended law, repeated behaviour that causes fear, distress, or psychological harm can trigger police investigations, and not just something to be handled in private, behind-closed-doors HR meetings.
The legal changes were introduced to close long-standing gaps in the law to address the concerning emotional and psychological harm to employees from the misconduct of employers or other employees that occurs digitally through messaging apps, email, and social platforms.
What the law actually criminalises
The amended provisions — Sections 507B to 507G — outline specific offences that now apply to workplace settings:
- Section 507B: Using threatening, abusive, or insulting words, with penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment
- Section 507C: Communicating threats that cause fear or distress, including via digital channels, with penalties of imprisonment up to 1 year or a fine
- Section 507D: Harassment that causes mental or emotional harm, with penalties of imprisonment up to 1 year
- Section 507D(2): Harassment that leads to an attempt at self-harm or death, with penalties of imprisonment up to 10 years
- Section 507F–507G: Doxing, which is the sharing of personal or identity information without consent, with penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment
Severe cases that result in extreme psychological consequences carry significantly heavier penalties under the law. And so the message is unambiguous: repeated intimidation, humiliation, or psychological pressure at work can no longer be considered a “management style”. It is an outright criminal offence. No ifs, no buts.
What counts as workplace bullying now
According to HR Update Malaysia and A Job Thing, workplace bullying is defined as repeated, unreasonable behaviour that poses a risk to an employee’s mental or emotional well-being.
Common examples highlighted in the viral video and accompanying materials include:
- Constant shouting, humiliation, or verbal attacks
- Threatening job security behaviour to control employees
- Spreading rumours or isolating someone from the team
- Assigning impossible deadlines to deliberately set someone up to fail
- Public shaming in meetings or group chats
- Harassment through WhatsApp, email, work platforms or social media
- Sharing private employee information without consent
The law, however, distinguishes bullying from legitimate management. Fair performance reviews, reasonable instructions, and constructive feedback do not fall under criminal conduct. The deciding factors are pattern, intent, and impact, especially psychological harm.
“If this were implemented two years back, all my bosses would be in jail!”
The Reddit discussion that followed the viral video revealed how deeply many workers relate to the issue.
One commenter wrote: “If this were implemented two years back, all my bosses would be in jail!”
Another added, “I have worked for 13 years and have juniors working with me, yet I don’t see the need to shout. Just correct them nicely, and they will improve their work.”
Others pointed out that bullying is not always loud or obvious. One comment noted that office bullying often takes the form of excessive workload, unreasonable expectations, and deliberate pressure designed to make someone fail or quit, which is now falling squarely under scrutiny.
Another Singaporean described familiar patterns across organisations: disregard for work-life balance, demands for unquestioning obedience, manipulation, and gaslighting — all wrapped in the language of “high performance”.
“Similar modus operandi to many organisations here:
- Despise work-life balance.
- Demand every ounce of their employees, even after work hours.
- Demands absolute reverence. Brainless reverence.
- Resorting to gaslighting and manipulating employees.
- And when they realise they can’t manipulate said employees, get rid of them at all costs.
Narcissistic and psychopathic employers are glad they dodged this bullet.”
What this means for HR and employers
The 2025 amendments raise the bar sharply for employer accountability in Malaysia. Companies are now expected to treat bullying as a workplace safety issue, not a minor conflict.
Failing to act can expose organisations to reputational damage, legal risk, and external scrutiny if cases escalate beyond internal handling.
HR Update Malaysia stresses that employers must:
- Update policies to explicitly cover psychological harassment
- Set up clear, confidential reporting channels
- Train managers on what crosses the legal line
- Investigate complaints promptly and fairly
- Properly document incidents, assuming external review may follow
Dismissing any employer-employee incidents as “personality clashes” is no longer acceptable as something “normal.” Employees may also choose to bypass HR entirely and go straight to the authorities in the occurrence of such incidents.
A Job Thing advises affected employees who wish to report abusive incidents to keep written records, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and ensure confidentiality throughout the process. The authorities will also protect whistleblowers, and any retaliation against them may cause further penalties to be imposed.
A regional contrast Singaporeans are watching closely
While Malaysia moves decisively, the contrast in Singapore has not gone unnoticed. Many Singaporeans reacting to the viral video expressed frustration that similar behaviour at home is often tolerated, normalised, or quietly endured.
The Reddit post did not call for revenge, but for accountability and for cultural change that draws a clear line between leadership and abuse.
Beyond punishment is a signal for a culture reset
The Malaysian amendments go beyond just about jail time. They signal a broader cultural shift: behaviour long excused as “tough management” or “office banter” is now being challenged at a structural level.
A Job Thing’s accompanying article makes it clear that addressing bullying is a moral responsibility and a compliance requirement. Safer workplaces improve morale, reduce turnover, and protect organisations from long-term damage.
For many workers watching from Singapore, the takeaway is: change is possible when the law finally backs what employees have been saying all along.
