Communications Ministry Staff Urged Not To Stigmatise Mental Health Issues 

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 10 (Bernama) --Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has urged the ministry's staff not to stigmatise mental health issues but instead help their colleagues who may be struggling, to recover and move forward.

"I have said this before, not to normalise mental health issues, but to make us aware that today, with a deeper understanding of health and psychology, we need to approach and support colleagues who might be facing stress or mental health challenges.

"By being there for them, they will be able to cope better, allowing tasks to be accomplished and ensuring peace within the office," he said during the ministry's assembly here today.

Also present were his deputy Teo Nie Ching, the Ministry's Secretary-General Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Managing Director Datuk Mohd Ali Hanafiah Mohd Yunus, Bernama Chief Executive Officer Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and Bernama Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj.

Fahmi expressed concern over the revelation by Public Service Director-General Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz that more than 40,000 civil servants in Malaysia are at high risk of facing psychological and mental health issues due to the inability to cope with workplace stress.

In conjunction with National Sports Day, Fahmi also emphasised the importance of maintaining not only mental health but also physical health, urging staff to undergo health screenings.

"Please ensure you control sugar intake, watch your cholesterol levels, and monitor your blood pressure. I understand our work is high-pressure, especially for the MCMC enforcement team," he said.

He also called on the ministry's information and broadcasting agencies like Bernama, Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), the Information Department, and the Community Communications Department, to increase public messaging on the importance of maintaining both physical and mental health.

-- BERNAMA