Train more lay counsellors as possible to help people – Wan Azizah

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has urged eligible NGOs to help train as many para counsellors or lay counsellors as possible to provide counselling service to the people.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who made the call, said the role of lay counsellors in the community support system is most necessary in view of the lack of counsellors in the country.

Dr Wan Azizah, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister, said the rising cases of stress and mental problems demand the need for more counsellors but not many people take up counselling.

“Perhaps, this job is not attractive or not glamorous,” she said in the Dewan Rakyat.

She was replying to a question from Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim (BN-Batang Lupar) who had wanted to know about the monitoring done by the Board of Counsellors Malaysia on the role of teacher counsellors in schools and institutions of higher learning in addressing mental stress among students. Dr Wan Azizah said the ministry was giving due attention to these problems in schools and institutions of higher learning, including mental stress, bullying and abuse.

“It’s not just a matter of mental stress, there are bullying and abuse cases. The bullies must also be given counselling. I just launched an NGO programme on addressing bullying.

“We have counsellors from the Social Institute of Malaysia who give basic exposure on counselling and psychology to the people. These para counsellors or lay counsellors can be gathered and given training,” said Dr Wan Azizah.