Malaysia is facing an increasingly complex landscape of student mental health challenges – from cyberbullying and deepfake harassment to emotional distress, behavioural risks, and declining resilience among school-aged children.
As part of the Safe School 2.0 research initiative, TAR UMT is hosting a national academic forum to bring together experts, educators, school leaders, counsellors, parents, and community stakeholders. The aim is to discuss evidence-based solutions, strengthen school support systems, and promote safer, more compassionate learning environments.
This forum will be conducted primarily in English, with flexibility to use Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese for inclusivity.
Why Attend This Forum?
✔ Understand the real mental health challenges facing Malaysian students today
From rising bullying cases to deepfake misuse and cyber harassment.
✔ Gain insights from six leading experts
Representing educational psychology, school leadership, youth mental health, community crisis support, and counselling education.
✔ Contribute directly to policy recommendations
Your perspectives will help shape the Safe School 2.0 proposal to be submitted to the Ministry of Education.
✔ Strengthen your school's capacity
Learn strategies, models, and frameworks to support students’ mental and emotional well-being.
Key Themes Covered
1. Strengthening Counselling Systems & Teacher Capacity
- Enhancing emotional support structures in schools
- Improving teacher readiness to handle psychological concerns
2. Digital Safety & Cyber Wellness
- Managing cyberbullying, online risks, deepfakes, and harmful digital content
- Building responsible digital citizenship
3. Governance, Policy Frameworks & Community Partnership
- Whole-school approaches grounded in UNESCO and OECD standards
- Collaborative models involving families, NGOs, educators, and mental health practitioners
Panel of Speakers
Moderator
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lim Chia Yien
Programme Leader, Dept. of ECA, FAFB, TAR UMT
Panellists
- Prof. Dr. Ananda Kumar Palaniappan
Professor, Dept. of Social Science, FSSH, TAR UMT - Dr. Nazrul Azizi
President, YoungMinds Malaysia - Pn. Imatul Bt Nor Hazizan
Pegawai Psikologi, Pejabat Kesihatan Titiwangsa - Ms. Chuah Hooi Mei
Programme Leader, Dept. of Social Science, FSSH, TAR UMT - Pn. Tan Siew Choo
Principal, SMJK Chong Hwa, Kuala Lumpur - Ms. Wong Su Zane
Vice President, Life Line Association Malaysia
Message from the Lead Researcher: Safe School 2.0
Dato’ Dr. Monna Ong Siew Siew, Associate Professor at TAR UMT, emphasises that Malaysia is not facing isolated incidents but a systemic national crisis in student psychological well-being.
“Safe School 2.0 is not about tightening discipline, but about strengthening humanity, empathy, and scientific prevention. Every child deserves not only physical protection, but emotional safety and dignity.”
The initiative is being developed through collaboration with UM, UTAR, and private and Islamic universities to build a unified, research-driven framework for school mental health governance.
Who Should Attend?
- Teachers & School Leaders
- Counsellors & Student Affairs Practitioners
- Parents & Parent Associations
- Youth Organisations
- NGOs & Social Workers
- Academics & Researchers
- Anyone passionate about student well-being
Registration Form
(Embed your form here – Google Form / internal form)
Register Now:
👉 https://forms.gle/MXSV2mKPLqWQrQhu9
Or scan the QR code in the event poster.
Contact Us
For enquiries:
📞 Joanne Tan: +6012-901 5381
📞 Fong Yi: +6019-275 9871
