Tengku Puteri Iman Afzan Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al Mustafa Billah Shah has been appointed as the royal patron of the Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association to help promote mental health in Malaysia. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
She was recently appointed as the royal patron of the Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association to gain an upper hand on the issue. She said her role as Miasa’s patron is something she takes seriously, admitting that there’s a personal motivation behind her drive. Commenting on the prevalence of mental illness in Malaysia, Tengku Iman said mental disorder is a very serious issue that has not been getting enough attention and awareness in Malaysian society.
“In UK, every school has a psychiatrist and peer support group on standby to look after the children’s mental wellbeing. Moving forward, Tengku Iman said she hopes to be able to include several life skills programmes to the school curriculums with the help of the Education Ministry.