KUCHING – A community dialogue marking World Mental Health Day 2026 brought discussions on women’s mental wellbeing, personal recovery and family relationships to Tropics City, Kuching, on Saturday, 10 October, as part of the What About Kuching (WAK) Festival 2026.
The free, drop-in event, known as WAK & TALK, KUCHING!, ran from 11am to 4pm and was jointly organised by SFDP Entertainment Sdn Bhd, through its Tiny Talks platform, and the Mental Health Association Sarawak (MHAS), Kuching Branch.
The programme aimed to make conversations about mental health more accessible by focusing on personal experiences and everyday challenges rather than a conventional seminar format.
Three sessions formed the programme, covering women’s mental health, lived experiences of mental health challenges and recovery, and the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren.
Each discussion was moderated to encourage respectful participation and provide an environment in which members of the public could engage with sensitive subjects.
The organisers brought together mental health professionals, community representatives and individuals with relevant personal experiences to explore issues affecting people across different stages of life.
The opening session, HER VOICE, examined women’s mental wellbeing in the context of work, relationships, family responsibilities, caregiving and social expectations. The discussion also addressed identity and the different roles women may be expected to fulfil in their personal and professional lives.
The session was moderated by Chan Wan Xin, a registered counsellor and school counsellor who serves as honorary secretary of MHAS Kuching Branch. Its panellists were Professor Dr Lo May Chiun and Dr Stephanie Low Zhen Ying.
The second discussion, STILL HERE, centred on lived experiences, recovery and hope. Rather than defining individuals by a diagnosis, the session explored the difficulties people may encounter when seeking help, their understanding of recovery and the importance of public awareness of mental health challenges.
Psychogeriatrician Dr Azizah binti Saie, deputy chairman of MHAS Kuching Branch, moderated the discussion. The panellists were Azizi bin Ahmadi and Anis Suhaila binti Addy Shamsul.
The programme concluded with TINY TALKS: GRAND CONNECTION, which explored the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren and its role in family life. The session considered how these relationships can provide children with a sense of security, belonging and connection to their family identity.
Participants also discussed potential tensions between generations, particularly when family members have different expectations about boundaries and parenting practices.
The conversation examined how disagreements can be managed without placing children in the middle of family conflicts, while recognising that relationships between grandparents and grandchildren continue to change as family circumstances and abilities evolve.
Nicholas James Charles, an MHAS Kuching Branch ambassador, moderated the final session. Its panellists were Dr Ng Boon Seng, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and chairman of MHAS Kuching Branch, and Ivana Tiffany Berenai Mason, a clinical psychologist and doctoral researcher focusing on dementia prevention.
Charles said community initiatives could help raise awareness by creating opportunities for people to discuss mental health in a supportive setting.
He also called for greater participation and collaboration among individuals, organisations and communities to encourage open conversations, share experiences and develop better approaches to addressing mental health concerns.
The event received support from the Kuching South City Council (MBKS), Sarawak Women for Women Society, Sarawak Mental Health Survivor Community, WAK Festival and Timonia Events Company.
Tiny Talks, operated by SFDP Entertainment Sdn Bhd, is a community conversation platform that provides space for discussions about children, family life and growing up without promoting a single approach to parenting.
MHAS Kuching Branch contributes mental health expertise, programme oversight, moderation and connections to appropriate support services for community initiatives in Sarawak.
Its involvement in the programme reflected the organisers’ emphasis on handling sensitive discussions responsibly and making mental health conversations accessible to the wider public.
Held under the WAK Festival 2026 programme, WAK & TALK, KUCHING! brought together several perspectives on mental wellbeing, highlighting how personal experiences, family relationships and community engagement can form part of wider discussions about mental health in Sarawak. â Sarawak Daily
