SELANGOR has launched two dedicated mental health initiatives to address adolescent cyberbullying and provide free psychosocial support across the state.
The “Talian Belia Sehat” helpline and “Hab Rakan Sokongan Sehat” were unveiled as part of the Zero Bullying Selangor 2026 campaign in Petaling Jaya.
The state restructured its mental health services under the “Selangor Mental Sihat” programme (Sehat) to offer targeted support for young people.
Kasih Malaysia chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who launched both initiatives, said unsupervised social media access was allowing bullying to invade the homes of Malaysian teenagers.
While traditional bullying often ended at the school gates, she said social media allowed taunts to follow victims home.
She added that Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission data showed 90% of social media users lacked parental supervision, allowing online harassment to go undetected.
Dr Wan Azizah, who is Bandar Tun Razak MP, also shared how she suffered body-shaming as a child, when peers mocked her slanted eyes.
“I was called ‘sepet’ as a child. Always focus on all the good you have,” she told 200 students, urging them not to let such taunts affect their mental health.
She also encouraged them to look out for one another instead.
Dr Wan Azizah, however, said statistics by National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022 showed that 70% of teenagers were open to seeking help for emotional issues.
Also present at the launch was Selangor public health and environment committee chairman Jamaliah Jamaluddin.
“According to the NHMS, 8.6% of adolescents in Malaysia have experienced bullying,” she said.
“This is a reality that we cannot afford to take lightly.”
The “Talian Belia Sehat” (1700-82-7536) has been in operation since July 11, offering free psychosocial support services by qualified counsellors from the Selangor Counselling Centre to those aged between 13 and 18, she said.
“We even have those below 13 who call in.
“Their issues are mostly related to their peers, problems at home and, sometimes, relationships too,” added Jamaliah.
Kasih community affairs bureau chief Sangeeta Sidhu, who was also present, said seeking help for mental health issues was a sign of courage,not weakness.
“Let us choose kindness, let us choose empathy, let us choose to notice, let us choose to listen, and the most important thing, let us choose to act,” she said in her speech.
The “Talian Belia Sehat” is free and available Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm, excluding public holidays.
“Hub Rakan Sokongan”, which offers counselling via video calls, operates on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm.
Those interested can book an appointment through the Selangkah app.
