KUCHING: The mental wellness of youths must no longer be treated as a side issue but as a mainstream concern that requires collective commitment from all sectors.
In stating this Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah called for urgent action to address rising mental health challenges among young people.
“According to the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), there has been a worrying increase in depression, anxiety, and stress levels among youth. This trend is also reflected in Sarawak.
“But what is more concerning is that many youths suffer in silence, not because they are unwilling to seek help, but because help is either inaccessible, unaffordable, or stigmatised,” he said at the closing of the Sarawak International Conference on Youth Mental Health 2025 here yesterday.
According to Abdul Karim, the conference served not just as an academic forum, but as a movement to advance visibility, empowerment, and cross-sector collaboration, highlighting mental health as a key development issue.
“If we are committed to equipping our youth to become the next generation of leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, we must begin by ensuring their mental resilience, emotional well-being, and psychological safety,” he stressed.
Towards this end he emphasised the need for systemic realignment across education, technology, family, and policy frameworks, and for mental health to be integrated into a broader ecosystem of youth empowerment, including employment, digital access, entrepreneurship and leadership development.
“We must create a culture that allows young people to speak openly, to provide them with meaningful platforms, and equip them with the tools to manage challenges, not only during a crisis but consistently,” he said.
He called for the conference to serve as a starting point for stronger partnerships, more inclusive policies, and sustainable mental health programming aligned with Sarawak’s Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030).
“We stand today at a turning point. We have the knowledge, the tools, and the people in this room to make a meaningful impact on youth mental wellness.
“What we need now is the courage to act, the humility to listen, and the will to change systems.
“Let us build a Sarawak and a Malaysia where every youth, regardless of who they are or where they come from, can say: ‘I am seen, I am heard and I am supported’,” he said.
