Lee Lam Thye urges national focus on student mental health and safety

Lee Lam Thye, chair of the Alliance for a Safe Community, warned that mental health and emotional well-being must be placed on equal footing with academic achievement, discipline and physical safety in Malaysian schools. Citing recent student incidents, he argued that these are not isolated cases but evidence of insufficient support structures. He advocated for nationwide, consistent mental-health screening, counselling and early-intervention services, with counsellors freed from excessive paperwork and schools given access to qualified psychologists.

Lee emphasized training teachers to spot signs of distress, bullying and self-harm, and urged robust anti-bullying and cyber-bullying policies, clear reporting channels and rapid response. He also called for a comprehensive School Mental Health and Well-being Framework involving ministries, educators, parents and NGOs, stressing that mental health is a school, family and community issue.