KUCHING: The Sarawak Land and Survey Department (JTS) continues its commitment to enhancing the mental and psychological wellbeing of public servants through the JTS Psychology, Counselling and Wellness Day 2025, held from October 22 to 23 at Imperial Hotel Kuching.
The event gathered 300 participants from all 12 Divisional Land and Survey offices, including the headquarters.
Now in its fifth year since its inception in 2021, the programme has become an annual initiative successfully organised both physically and virtually via the department’s YouTube channel, Landas Channel.
This year’s theme, ‘Integrating Wellbeing into High Performance Culture’, aligns with the Sarawak Civil Service (SCS) theme ‘Thriving in Action: Integrating Performance and Sustainability Wellbeing in SCS’ and the national theme ‘Counselling in the Digital Era: Nurturing Emotions, Humanising Wellbeing’.
These highlight the importance of emotional balance, empathy, and compassion in building a sustainable, high-performing work culture.
Director of Land and Survey Sarawak, Datuk Awang Zamhari Awang Mahmood, emphasised the vital role of parents in addressing digital-age challenges such as online gaming influence, bullying, and risky behaviours.
“JTS has invited experts from the Sarawak Premier’s Department, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), motivational speakers, and parenting specialists to raise psychological awareness among staff,” he said.
He added that programmes like Psychological First Aid (PFA): Psychological Safety at the Workplace and Explorace Budget Blitz: Your Money, Your Way have positively impacted staff wellbeing.
Citing data from Sarawak General Hospital, consultant neuropsychiatrist, Dr Chhoa Keng Hong, reported a fivefold increase in mental health cases within three years, while national data shows rising suicide and anxiety rates, especially among youth.
He stressed that mental wellbeing is a prerequisite for nurturing emotionally resilient and high-performing civil servants.
His speech, delivered by deputy director Sr Rozlan Putit, also emphasised eliminating stigma toward counselling services.
The event’s highlight was the launch of the official ‘Psychology, Counselling and Wellness Day’ logo, followed by talks on wellbeing, teamwork, emotional fitness, and digital-age parenting.
JTS remains committed to fostering empathy, harmony, and resilience in line with Sarawak’s vision for a world-class civil service by 2030.
