Speech By Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister For Foreign Affairs and Second Minister For Education Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman for Launch of “Mental Health In Asia” Webinar Series, 7 March 2022

Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning.

Let me begin by first thanking the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and Temasek Foundation for organising this event together with our friends from across the ASEAN region.

COVID-19 has certainly affected ASEAN, causing major disruptions not only to public health, but also impacting the economies of ASEAN Member States (AMS). 

Nevertheless, in the early onset of the pandemic, ASEAN rallied together to address and tackle the challenges posed by COVID-19, both through ASEAN-led initiatives as well as in cooperation with its external partners. 

To shore up ASEAN’s defences against COVID-19, Singapore has actively supported ASEAN’s efforts including through the contribution of our allotted vaccines to other ASEAN Member States under the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund and donation of SGD7.9 million worth of medical supplies to the ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies for Public Health Emergencies.  

Aside from responding to the prevailing pandemic situation, long-term recovery is also a priority for ASEAN. The ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and its Implementation Plan, established in November 2020, sets five broad strategies for recovery including: Firstly, enhancing health systems; Secondly, strengthening human security; Third, maximising the potential of an intra-ASEAN market and broader economic integration; Fourth, accelerating inclusive digital transformation; and advancing towards a more sustainable and resilient future. 

Moving forward, we are entering a “new normal” and adjustments will have to be made. Initiatives, like the establishment of an ASEAN Travel Corridor Arrangement Framework, will allow the region to resume travel safely and consequently aid the region’s economic recovery in the longer-term.

The prolonged battle against the pandemic has tested the resiliency and endurance of people across the region, including in Singapore.  

In particular, we should not overlook the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. The pandemic has naturally brought mental health discussions to the forefront.

This webinar series provides a timely opportunity for us to come together and discuss how the practice of mental healthcare in our respective countries has adapted and evolved in response.  

In Singapore, an IMH study conducted amidst Singapore’s ‘Circuit Breaker’ period in 2020 found that, although Singapore fared better than several developed countries in the West as well as in Asia, about 13.3% of participants still reported experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety.

The top three sources of stress identified by participants were: Firstly, the risk of family members and friends contracting COVID-19; Secondly, financial loss, such as losing work opportunities or having to take unpaid leave; thirdly, of course, unemployment.

Singapore is making every effort to address the public health and economic causes of these stressors.

Similarly, we also understand the impetus for innovation in our mental healthcare systems, to build awareness around the importance of mental health and provide more accessible and effective mental health services for all, in this new normal.

To that end, the Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being will build on the work of the COVID-19 Mental Wellness Taskforce, formed in the initial stages of the pandemic, to lead the charge on this front.

Some of the areas being developed and explored include: Tele-psychiatry, Neurostimulation, and Trauma-informed and Crisis care. We have also started developing a standardised National Mental Health curriculum catering to different populations in Singapore in order to provide Psychological First Aid and Crisis Training, mental health literacy training, and peer training in the workplace.

Beyond treatment, it is equally important to foster an inclusive and supportive culture around mental health awareness in our societies.

Improving mental health literacy and social support systems, particularly among youth, can pave the way for more understanding and resilient societies.

Like pandemics, mental health issues also transcend geographical boundaries and age groups.  

ASEAN and our partners have acknowledged the new challenges brought on by COVID-19 and the importance of regional and international cooperation in the field of mental health, in the East Asia Summit Leaders’ Statement on Mental Health Cooperation and the ASEAN Plus Three Leaders’ Statement on Cooperation on Mental Health Amongst Adolescents and Children in October 2021.

Critically, these Statements demonstrated our joint commitment towards advancing partnerships and collaboration on mental health through ASEAN-led platforms and mechanisms. 
Nevertheless, there is much more that we can do together as a region and with our friends around the world, 
to develop expertise and share best practices.

To further strengthen regional mental health capabilities, Singapore is committed to building partnerships with like-minded organisations in ASEAN, as we had previously done with South Korea’s National Centre for Mental Health and Japan’s National Centre of Neurology and Psychiatry under the Asian Consortium of National Mental health Institutes.

For example, through the Consortium’s annual meetings with members and invited guests, Singapore has been able to facilitate the exchange of best practices, develop policies on mental health, share latest research studies, and provide opportunities for expertise transfer via educational programmes.

This webinar series organised by Temasek Foundation and IMH is another important step forward in this respect.

As with the Consortium, I hope that this webinar will serve as a platform for participants to exchange best practices, 
insights and latest data on mental health issues in the ASEAN region. 

I also hope that it will catalyse further in-depth discussions as well as collaborations between ASEAN countries, act as a source of inspiration for a call to action in the region, foster the development of a network of mental health professionals, and be a fruitful experience for everyone involved. I encourage you to use this valuable opportunity to engage with and learn from your colleagues from across the region.

Our region is diverse, and we may each face different challenges unique to our respective countries and societies.

But I am confident that if we continue to engage in dialogue, and share experiences, knowledge, and expertise, we can find ways together to build a more resilient future for all of our communities.