55 minutes
PETALING JAYA: A 2015 Health ministry report stated that one in three Malaysians, or 29% of the population, suffered from mental health issues. The figures have remained the same for now.
However, as a silver lining, caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has taken up mental health as an issue of concern, and plans to establish a National Mental Health Centre of Excellence.
Mental health advocates have lauded the move as he is the first prime minister to put such issues at the top of his agenda.
On Oct 7, the government announced that the Health Ministry was among the recipients of the largest increase in allocations under Budget 2023, amounting to RM36.1 billion, compared with RM32.4 billion this year.
When tabling the Budget in the Dewan Rakyat, caretaker Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz had said the government would establish a National Mental Health Centre of Excellence to act as an integrated driving force for all parties to ensure the people’s mental well-being, under MyMYNDA, with an allocation of RM34 million.
Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the centre was very urgently needed for stakeholders, to act as a national coordination centre for prevention and advocacy, capacity development, resource sharing, research monitoring, surveillance, and implementation of mental health programmes.
“Without good mental health, we cannot have good physical health. We have a caretaker prime minister who understands this, so the centre offers a lot of opportunities to raise awareness, including providing education to the community on the subject,” Lee said.
He added that with the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysia was badly affected and many people lost their jobs, businesses and incomes, leading to mental health issues, including depression.
“Some of them (could have) felt that they were at the end of the road and the idea of committing suicide (may have) crossed their minds. If we don’t address mental health issues, we will face more problems in the long run.”
Lee said thanks to Ismail Sabri and his concern for the people, the issue was raised at the Cabinet level, adding that once the centre is established, mental health advocacy training and education to spread awareness could be carried out.
“This centre can be a medium for relevant NGOs, stakeholders and the government to collaborate, share results of scientific research, plan activities to promote awareness on the issue and much more. People need to have mental health literacy. This can help promote mental health and mental illness prevention,” he told theSun.
Certified mental health and awareness practitioner Dr Praveena Rajendra said the proposed centre comes at a critical juncture for mental health patients and advocates.
“Looking at the rise in mental health issues, especially post-pandemic, a centre to bridge the service gap among relevant stakeholders and provide holistic services to the public is needed. Any effort to increase mental health literacy should be welcomed and encouraged.”
Praveena said the government’s proactive efforts to establish the centre should be lauded.
She expressed hope that it would encourage many who are still hesitant to address their mental health problems to come forward.
“Mental illness is the second biggest health issue affecting Malaysians. The majority of those affected are in the 16 to 19 age group and from low-income families.
“Approximately 2.3 million people in the country are affected by the illness at some point in their lives. Once established, the centre will be of benefit to target groups.”
