KUCHING: The Sarawak Government is formulating a new and more comprehensive policy framework to address mental health concerns, digital addiction, and increasingly complex social challenges in today’s society.

This was highlighted by Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Prof. Dr. Sim Kui Hian, following growing concern over the rising number of mental health cases linked to fast-paced lifestyles and shifting patterns of family communication.

“Mental health is very difficult to measure. Almost everyone in the world has some form of mental health issue, but what makes the difference is how we cope with it.

“With the rapid changes of the digital era, smartphones and other devices have reduced support networks, to the extent that some families are interacting less with each other,” he explained.

He further noted that family interaction is becoming increasingly limited, often confined to short text messages on mobile phones, reflecting the decline in meaningful face-to-face conversations within households today.

Datuk Amar Dr. Sim emphasised that mental health is no longer merely a medical issue but must be addressed through cross-agency collaboration involving social policy, education, and community support.

“Mental health is not just about medicine. Just like education, it is not only about knowledge, but also a form of economic transformation. Similarly, mental health is not just about health, but also about social issues and addiction,” he said.

He stressed the need for stakeholders to come together to design appropriate policies and interventions, particularly in tackling online gambling, cyberbullying, and digital dependency.

“All stakeholders must sit together to discuss the kind of support to be provided, the interventions to be implemented, and the policies to be formulated. This must be carried out across multiple agencies,” he added.

Datuk Amar Dr. Sim also underlined the importance of awareness and psychological support in managing mental health issues, noting that every individual must find their own way of coping with stress, as there is no single solution that fits all.

The initiative is expected to be discussed soon with Sarawak Premier, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Abang Openg, and the state leadership as an initial step towards establishing a more holistic and integrated mental health policy. -UKASnews