Malaysians maintain strong family, communal ties – Shafie
KOTA KINABALU: Psychology has played a pivotal role in helping people meet the challenges of achieving quality of life, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd Shafie Apdal.
He said growing awareness of the social, cultural and family dimensions of cross-cultural communities has increased debates over its contribution and the role it plays in shaping the dynamics of human development, be it as individuals or as the human capital of any organizations in the academia.
“Whether we are Buddhists, Christians, Confucians, Muslims or Taoists, Asian parents and leaders see the value of hard work and they invest in the future so that their children can have a better quality of life.
“We are witnessing the fruits of their sacrifice and investments because our parents worked hard, educated us and created a society where we now enjoy a high standard of living,” he said in his speech which was read by Assistant Education and Innovation Minister Jenifer Lasimbang yesterday at the launch of the Asian Association of Indigenous and Cultural Psychology International Conference 2018 held at Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
He added that many people believed that rapid economic growth, prosperity and a high standard of living ensured a high quality of life and well-being.
“However, we are now discovering that this is not always the case. With rapid development, stress has become a part of modern life and a major detriment to our health and well-being.
“However, I am happy to report the Malaysian population has a high level of happiness and subjective well-being.
“Malaysians have been able to maintain strong family and communal ties and are proud of their cultural roots,” said Shafie.
He urged participants of the conference who came from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Italy, Canada, the UK, the USA, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Australia and from Malaysia to discuss and analyze factors that promote health, happiness and quality of life that are relevant to Asian societies.
It appears to be the case that no one society has solutions to existing problems.
“We need to learn from one another. I hope this conference will serve as a venue where we can explore ways to reduce stress and promote health and wellbeing,” he said.