Selangor broadens mental health programme to guide distressed teenagers

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Selangor has launched two mental health programs, "Talian Belia Sehat" and "Hab Rakan Sokongan Sehat," offering free counseling and support to adolescents affected by cyberbullying as part of its Zero Bullying Selangor 2026 campaign. These initiatives address the rising issue of online harassment among youth by providing accessible, targeted help to improve their emotional wellbeing and foster peer support.

The state of Selangor has introduced two new mental health initiatives aimed at addressing adolescent cyberbullying and providing free psychosocial support for young people. The programmes, named "Talian Belia Sehat" and "Hab Rakan Sokongan Sehat," were launched as part of the Zero Bullying Selangor 2026 campaign during an event held in Petaling Jaya.

These initiatives are part of a broader restructuring of mental health services under the "Selangor Mental Sihat" (Sehat) programme, which seeks to offer targeted assistance to teenagers facing emotional and social challenges. The "Talian Belia Sehat" helpline, operational since July 11, offers free access to qualified counsellors from the Selangor Counselling Centre for individuals aged 13 to 18. The helpline is available Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., excluding public holidays. Meanwhile, "Hab Rakan Sokongan Sehat" provides counselling sessions via video calls on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with appointments booked through the Selangkah app.

Speaking at the launch, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, chairman of Kasih Malaysia and Bandar Tun Razak member of parliament, highlighted the challenges posed by unsupervised social media use among teenagers. She noted that while traditional forms of bullying typically ended at school, online harassment can continue unabated in the home environment. Citing data from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, she said that 90% of social media users lacked parental supervision, facilitating unchecked cyberbullying.

Dr Wan Azizah also shared a personal experience of body-shaming she encountered as a child and urged young people to focus on their strengths rather than negative remarks. She encouraged students to support one another in coping with mental health challenges. Supporting her remarks, recent data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022 showed that approximately 70% of teenagers were open to seeking help for emotional difficulties.

Selangor’s public health and environment committee chairman, Jamaliah Jamaluddin, emphasized the seriousness of bullying, pointing to NHMS figures indicating that 8.6% of adolescents in Malaysia have experienced bullying. She described this as a troubling reality that demands attention.

Jamaliah added that the helpline has also received calls from younger children under 13, with common issues including peer conflicts, family problems, and relationship concerns. Kasih’s community affairs bureau chief, Sangeeta Sidhu, highlighted that reaching out for mental health support is a courageous act rather than a sign of weakness and urged the public to respond with kindness, empathy, and action.

Together, these programmes aim to provide accessible mental health resources and support networks to combat bullying and its psychological effects on youth in Selangor.

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