Befrienders Kuala Lumpur: Here to Listen Without Judgement

Ahead of World Mental Health Day, the BFM radio station interviewed Mr. Justin Victor, Senior Lecturer from School of Media and Communication (SOMAC), who is the Chairman of Befrienders Kuala Lumpur, to find out more about the work that they do, and how we as a community can do better to support those struggling with their mental health. The interview was titled “Here to Listen Without Judgment’. Befrienders has been in Malaysia for 52 years providing a 24/7 emotional support helpline and engaging in public awareness and education to prevent suicides. The interview was aired on the Good Things programme on BFM.

The Producer and Host Lim Sue Ann introduced the session by saying that Befrienders Kuala Lumpur is a familiar name for many of us, especially if you have read news reports or articles on mental health issues, you would have seen Befrienders’ contact details at the bottom with several other helplines. The main point emphasized by Mr. Justin was the effort to help people with mental health issues is not only the responsibility of mental health professionals such as psychiatrist, clinical psychologist and counsellors. There are just not enough of these professionals in the country and their current numbers are way below the recommended ratio to the population of Malaysia.

A lot can and should be done by the public either by volunteering in an NGO such as Befrienders, Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association (MIASA) or Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA), or by just making the effort to learn basic skills in dealing with a troubled person. This first line of response can often be enough to prevent people from deteriorating further.

The recorded interview can be accessed at https://www.bfm.my/podcast/bigger-picture/good-things/title-befrienders-kl-here-to-listen-without-judgement

This segment talks about suicide and may be triggering for some listeners. If you need emotional support, you can call 24-hour helplines Befrienders KL 03 7627 2929 or MIASA's 1-800-820066. If you are a survivor of suicide loss, you can text AWAS at 010-2344808 for support.

Fighting Poverty and Inequality: Impact Lab on Education for All

As part of the initiative on impact lab - Education for All, Expert Webinar Series on development education entitled “Fighting Poverty and Inequality: Development Education Perspectives from the Philippines,” was presented by Mr. Romel A. Daya, Assistant Professor from University of the Philippines.

In his sharing, Mr. Romel highlighted the integration of communication and education for the development of the local community and its people, as well as to address social issues. Through formal and non-formal education, educators can be advocates and active participants or facilitators of development.

Mr. Romel emphasized that educators should go beyond Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from being immersed in the community through initiatives, such as volunteering in training programmes, using media, and implementing activities in line with the community or participants needs.

With more than 160 participants, this webinar was moderated by Dr. Joseph Malaluan Velarde, Lecturer from School of Education, Taylor's University.

Final Year Public Relations Students’ Educational Trip to Indonesia

Taylor's School of Media and Communication (SOMAC) through its Public Relations programme has organized an educational trip to Jakarta and Bogor, Indonesia. Seven students, accompanied by two lecturers, participated in this trip which took place in November 2022. The objective of this educational trip was to establish networking among the final year Public Relations students at the international level. This was made possible when these students attended the classes in the visiting universities. The Global Classroom concept was very much welcomed by the students and the lecturers as they both had opportunity to experience having international students in their class.

This trip was also coordinated as a platform to initiate future collaborations among students and lecturers from both countries. The universities involved in this educational trip were the University of Indonesia, Bogor Institute of Agriculture and London School of Public Relations.

The discussions on future programmes for active collaboration among Public Relations students and lecturers of both countries have already begun during the Management meetings in each university. Some of the activities planned include the outbound and inbound mobility programmes, research and publication, webinars and visiting lecturers.

These universities have also expressed their plans to have an agreement with Taylor’s University to seal this collaboration for a more impactful and meaningful purposes. Ms. G. Manickam Govindaraju, a Public Relations Lecturer who accompanied the students during the trip, was also invited by the Institute of Agriculture in Bogor to give a talk about her student project which promotes the agricultural products of Malaysia using the social media platform.