Description from Organisers:
Co-organised by Taylor’s Centre for Counselling Services, Impact Lab 8 Mental Health & Wellbeing and Life Inspired Network Society, LINetS (an NGO which champions suicide prevention through media, education and counselling) this event coincides with World Suicide Prevention Day (10 Sept) and World Mental Health Day (10 Oct).
The highlight of this fair is the booth exhibition featuring a comprehensive range of counseling services and mental health awareness by various NGOs, private counseling organizations and governmental organizations, all under one roof. There will also be concurrent mental health related workshops, debate competitions and other fun activities throughout the day. Communities of all ages are welcome.
Workshop Information:
Workshop 1 - Discovering Your True Self: Awareness & Acceptance
Workshop 2 - Strengthening Connections: Building Communities & Meaningful Relationship
Workshop 3 - How Can I Prevent Suicide Among People I Know?
Note: A nominal registration fee of RM10 is applicable for each workshop session.
Registration for the Mental Wellness Fair can be done via this Google Form.
Went glamping with the church group during the Merdeka holiday, it was lovely!
Though I'm physically exhausted (we stayed up until 4 for board games haha) and more so have depleted my social quota by the end of the trip, it was a really nice experience!
Text from event page:
What is stress? Learn more about it, and particularly its causes and how to recognise in yourself and others. It plays a crucial role in raising awareness, promoting understanding, and providing essential information to individuals and communities.
Join us and Ms Daphne Low, MMHA Wellness & Recovery Programme Manager, in our Public Education Series on Recognising Signs of Stress.
Together, let's increase awareness, provide support, and build resilience.
🗓️ Date: 26th August 2023 (Saturday) ⏰ Time: 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 📍 Venue: MMHA PJ Office, Jalan Othman 🌐 Mode: Face-to-face or Virtual @ MMHA's Facebook Live
This event is open to the public. It's time to break the silence around mental health and start talking about it openly. Your presence matters!
Register now on this link https://forms.gle/AdsQouCVSYdvxsYn8 or scan the QR code on the image to secure your spot. Don’t miss out on this opportunity. We hope to see you there!
One of the little joys of going back home to vote - it's like a mini reunion, ha!
Also just discovered one of my former classmates was standing for election. Won by a large margin too. Never expected that, wasn't the best student in school, ha! But really glad for them, looking up some news and they seemed to be doing quite some work in their area.
Thanks! Yeah it's so interesting isn't it? I love these kind of stories too haha. I first heard about the story from a friend, but did went on to look for more information and compiled the information I could find, and came up with this post.
Do you know that Penang Asam Laksa is believed to be influenced by a traditional Burmese dish called Mohinga?
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE BURMESE HERITAGE IN PENANG
Penang has always been a cosmopolitan city - blessed by its strategic geographical location - even before the founding of the modern Penang by Francis Light in 1786, the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ has attracted people from neighbouring regions and faraway lands to gather in this beautiful land. Some stopped for a short stay, many settled down and called it their home - but all brought their own unique culture and story to make Penang a colourful and complex place as it is today.
However, comparing to the stories of the Europeans and Eurasians, the Chinese, the Indians, the Siamese, and others, the story of the Burmese in Penang is one that is less spoken about and shared, despite signs a notable presence back in their days.
The Burmese Connection
Connection between Burma (Myanmar as it is called then) and the Malayan peninsular began as early as the fifteenth century, if not earlier, with people from both regions migrating around and between the land for various reasons. But with the rise of the global East-West trade, with several coastal towns, such as Rangoon in the Lower Burma region and Penang turning into important sea ports along the trade route, the moving of goods, and people, between these two regions accelerated greatly, and reaching its peak in the 1800s as both regions came under the British rule.
The records of the earliest arrivals were vague, but by then, there was already a sizeable Burmese population in Penang. They were mostly centred in the Burmese Village in Pulau Tikus, with smaller settlements in Teluk Bahang and Batu Maung.
Dr MacKinnon's Residence, near Burmah Village | 100pfs
The earliest Burmese settlers were most likely fishermen, but soon there were also traders, merchants, labourers, and workers in factories - some of which were set up by wealthy Burmese businessmen who reside in Penang.
Taking Root
Among the most prominent was probably Sin Yew Kyong and his cheroot (cigar) factory. Son of a Burmese merchant of Chinese origin, he migrated to Penang as a 16-year-old young man, and later establishing his own factory producing Burmese cheroot, at 8 Tavoy Road, in early twentieth century. Sin’s cheroot business grew - he would later open his own cigar store at 12 Perangin Lane - and he famously brought over hundreds of young ladies from his native Burma to Penang, to work in his factory. These young ladies soon began to be known as the ‘cheroot ladies’, who were said to be highly sought after by local lads as wives, and many of them settled down in Penang and other parts of Malaya. Indeed, many of the Malaysian Burmese today are the descendants of the cheroot ladies.
Conversely, young ladies from Penang, particularly of the Peranakan group, also known as ‘Nyonya’, were seen as highly desirable marriage candidates by the successful and wealthy among the Sino-Burmese, both locally and in Burma. This included the ‘Burmese Cheroot King’, as Sin was known, who had a Nyonya lady as wife. Some of the Penang Nyonyas were brought over to Burma and stayed, while some of the rich Burmese merchants who would frequently visit Penang during their business trips took the young ladies as wives and essentially had their “second home” here. One of which who did as such was Aw Boon Haw, of the Tiger Balm fame, who had a residence at Cantonment Road with his Penang wife/mistress. Incidentally, Aw’s principal wife, a Madam Tay, was also from Penang.
The Cheroot Ladies | Lost Footsteps
Today, there is a small group of Burmese Malays in Myanmar, known as the Pashu people. More specifically, Pashu is also referring to the particular group of Baba-Nyonya, the Peranakan Chinese people and their descendants who moved to Myanmar and stayed there.
The Legacy
The Penang today is left with ample evidence of this historical Burmese connection. The areas surrounding the Burmese settlement - also used to be known was Kampung Ava, said to be named after the Burmese city Ava (present day Inwa) - in Pulau Tikus provide us with the strongest hints of how significant the Burmese community was in its day. The road that runs through the village and connects it to the city centre was named Burmah Road (spelled with an ‘H’ to reflect the old British spelling), which name remains to this day and is one of the major and longest roads in Penang. Off this road is Rangoon Road - with Rangoon the old name for Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar. There are also Mandalay Road, Moulmein Road, and Tavoy Road, all named after major cities in Myanmar, as well as Irrawaddy Road, after the Irrawaddy Delta.
But perhaps the most famous and prominent heritage of all is the Dhammikarama Temple in Burmah Lane, Pulau Tikus. This Burmese temple, built on a land donated by a female Burmese devotee, dates back to 1803, signifying the presence of a sizeable Burmese community as early as then. It is also the oldest Buddhist temple in the state. Originally a humble and modest place of worship, with the growing Burmese community, the British government at that time granted them some land for expansion to the temple to be made. The temple became the heart of the local community, not just as a religious centre, but with a well within the temple ground offering water supply before there was piped water in the area, it was an important community and social centre, not only to the Burmese but possibly the wider population nearby too. With continual support from the Burmese people, and later, the Penang government, the temple grew into the magnificent monument we have today - and two centuries later, it still stands strong to remind us of the Burmese Heritage in Penang.
Dhammikarama Temple | Wikimedia
The story of the Burmese Heritage in Penang might not be the most widely shared, and not something we learn about in the history textbooks. Indeed I as a Penang Lang am not aware of this before looking up this story, and we’re not left with a lot of reliable historical records. But it is no less interesting and significant - and the heritage is definitely as worthy to be preserved and the story to be told.
Doulos Hope is a floating bookfair/library which mission is to promote literacy and education, and share knowledge and hope around the world. There are over 2000 book titles on board, and visitors have a chance to interact with the international crew to know more about the ship and their work.
She is visiting the Penang currently, and is scheduled to stop at Kuching and KK in the following weeks.
Registration is required for visit, and a nominal entrance fee applies. Registration form can be found here.
GOOD NEWS: DOULOS HOPE IS EXTENDING HER STAY IN PENANG FOR ANOTHER 2 WEEKS. THE BOOKING HAS OPENED FOR THE SUBSEQUENT SLOTS.
Note: Doulos Hope is operated by an international Christian organisation, but the Bookfair is open to all.
I think many are aware now, but it was indeed a widely held misconception that Raya is the New Year among the Chinese. In fact, even till now Raya is sometimes referred as Malay New Year (the literal translation of 馬來新年) in the Chinese speaking community, though not officially, but common enough to keep the misconception alive.
One of the reasons might be that for the Chinese people, the New Year (Spring Festival) is generally the most important - thus most greatly celebrated - occasion in a year. And as we observe how Raya is celebrated, especially in relative to other occasions, it's perhaps not too surprising that we assume the same it is for the Malay/Muslim as well.
Indeed some Chinese have the same misconception about Deepavali with the Hindus.
And I think in general we're doing better now, including in education - sad to say, but I don't remember my teachers (in SMJK) bothered to teach or clarify this with us when we're growing up (another reason the misunderstanding was rife) . But I think many Chinese are more respectful in this regard today.
Hi I can see that you have some concerns about mental health disorders and diagnosis, just to share some insights on this!
For the diagnosis of mental health disorders, it can be quite a delicate process. Some people may think that the diagnosis for a mental disorder is a pretty straightforward process - like the doctors have a standard list of symptoms for a specific mental disorder, and if a person shows or experiences a certain number of symptoms on the list, the doctor will confirm that the person is having that particular mental disorder, and diagnose them with "(name) disorder". But this is not how the diagnosis process goes.
(So taking this opportunity to make a PSA against self-diagnosis - many people hear or learn about the different symptoms for a certain mental disorder, and they may find themselves thinking "oh I also experience these symptoms!" and thus convinced that they are having that particular disorder or condition. This is not a healthy thing to do - if you suspect of having certain mental health condition, please talk to a qualified mental health practitioner.)
In reality, the process of diagnosis is a more holistic one. While checking for symptoms is part of the process, the psychiatrist or clinical psychologist (the only specialists who can make diagnosis) has to be very careful in applying the symptoms - including to check if the exhibited symptoms may be related/attributed to other physical or mental illnesses, as well as to examine the context such as if the patient has recently experienced any significant life events that may cause these symptoms, the patient's and the family's medical history, the family and life background, and other factors - before deciding on a diagnosis. Some different disorders have very similar symptoms but vastly different diagnostic criteria, and the specialists have to be very careful in considering and eliminating different possible diagnoses. That is why you may seem to fit the criteria for certain diagnosis, but the doctor gave you a different one that you have in mind. Often the specialists would also want to observe the patient for a certain period of time, to see if there are any changes in the experienced symptoms, before making a diagnosis. So it takes time.
In addition to that, there is also this thing called "comorbidity" within mental disorders - where a person may experience two or more distinct psychological disorders at the same time, and the specialists have to be very careful in making sure all the different disorders are addressed.
On the issue of meds - it's not uncommon to see doctors trying different presriptions (including different kinds of meds and also the dosage) to see what works best. We see it in all kinds of medical situations from common flu to cancer, not a practice unique to psychological disorders, can certainly not a suspicious or shaddy medical practice. Because the drugs may work differently for different people, so even for a specific diagnosis, the doctor may try different meds to find out what is the best for the patient. What the doctors are not doing - in Wee's case and in general - is using different drugs to confirm diagnosis.
Hopefully this helps you to clarify the diagnosis process for mental disorders.
I can see that you're concern with the doctors giving you a different diagnosis that you have in mind, and I hope the above information helped you to see how could this be possible. I certainly would encourage you to talk to your doctor if this is a main concern for you, you may indeed ask them "how is it that you decided on depression and anxiety for my diagnosis, and not ADHD?", and see if they can help you to understand more about your condition, and perhaps to work towards a better treatment plan.
All the best!
10 minutes! How bad can they be?! Anyway, hopefully you still manage to get on with your appointment.
That’d be quite interesting! To have a place to share/promote good events around.
These little things that carry a great lot of love!
Just recently (re)started Quiet by Susan Cain, have had this for long and had started reading before but stopped halfway.
Previous book was Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics by Jonathan Wilson.
I do prefer nonfiction to fiction.
Haha, I get what you mean, just that we usually don't use the word "force" (as the other friend pointed out, mandatory might be more apt here) because of the more negative connotation, but yeah.
And you did raise some good perspective too, including the perception of some people towards mental health treatment like therapy. Having a structure/system where we expose a person to mental health treatment (therapy), even if just for running a formal procedure, might be, in logic, better than not giving people the opportunity to get any help at all, but that also raises some questions, not just practical, but a lot of ethical ones as well.
Definitely as a MHP I'm inclined to agree with including counselling and therapy (mandatory or otherwise) in the treatment for people with suicidal risks or record. But was also sharing (a bit lamenting, ha) about the shortcomings of the current healthcare system in implementing the policies.
Can't say there is an ideal solution to that - but indeed some form of help is needed, and if it's structured as a standard policy, it's certainly for the better.
Force is a very strong word, haha. But treatment (including assessment, psychotherapy and counselling, medication if needed, and further psychosocial support plans) instead of punishment is the way to go.
Admittedly, treatment is already part of the response process for attempted suicide cases currently, in particular the government healthcare facilities have their SOP in handling attempted suicide patients that includes medical and psychiatric treatment, so it's not like the people don't get help at all. But the problem was that there is also a legal process that also has to go through - and that was the main issue (in addition to other issues). This particular article cited a study that showed often the "legal processes taking precedence over mental health care for suicide survivors, which can 'significantly delay treatment."' By removing this legal block, the idea is that treatment and rehabilitation can be the focus for post suicide attempt care.
But indeed, the post suicide attempt response treatment plan should be more specific - and inclusive - namely putting more emphasise on counselling and psychotherapy (which comes back to your question), especially if we're talking about government policies. But for that to happen we're looking at significant development in the mental healthcare system and policies. The current public mental healthcare system is, sadly, not the most adequate and balanced, that even if the government has plans to make it an official policy to have people with suicide attempts record/people with suicide risks to undergo counselling, I'm afraid that it might not be as how we hoped it would be. For one, the healthcare system is currently more geared towards medical healthcare than mental healthcare, so a suicidal person is more likely to be referred to a medical doctor (including GPs and psychiatrists) than to a mental health specialist (counsellors and clinical psychologists). But for suicide and mental health cases, specialised mental health services (counselling, assessment, therapy etc.) are often more crucial than medical services (medication). At the same time, we also have the issue of a shortage of mental health specialists (counsellors and psychologists) in the government healthcare system.
So back to your question - helping suicidal persons (with proper mental healthcare, including counselling/psychotherapy, medical treatment, and psychosocial support plans) instead of punishing them should be a no-brainer indeed. And now that we have already taken the step forward in decriminalising suicide, we have to see what comes after.
The Christians and early missionaries had indeed played a major role in public education in Malaysia, and some of the most prestigious public schools today were set up or in one way or another linked to the early Christians' works in the country. So putting religion aside, even just for sentimental reasons, it is actually quite a sad thing to see the decline or closure of mission schools today.
But fairly, this is not, or not only, at least, a fault of the government and the authorities. The past and current Christian counterparts would have to bear an equal responsibility in this decline. What people might not know is, the Church (in this case which I am personally informed, the Methodist Church in Malaysia - can't comment on other Christian denominations) does actually have a voice within the Federal Government in the matter of the public mission schools linked to the Methodist Church, e.g. MBS/MGS, ACS. And for many years, even in the days of previous leaders, the Church was given the right to nominate their own candidates for the role of the Principal in the schools. But few Christians would take up the responsibility, hence leaving the mission schools at the government's mercy in appointing whoever they want to the leadership positions - and as a result, the "Christian" identity (and influence) of the schools diminishes fast. And today, the Methodist Church is dipping their toe in private education institutes themselves and it'll be no surprise if the effort to hold on to the public schools is even lower of a priority for the Church.
And in certain Christian circles, due to one factor or another, fewer and fewer parents are inclined to send their child to public schools (missionary schools or otherwise), which while completely understandble and justified, it is for me personally quite a sad thing to see - that as Christian ourselves are not as concerned with asserting our positive influence and with contributing to the community than our forefathers were.