Mental Health in The Workplace

Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye
Chairman of Alliance for Safe Community, Chairman of Eco World Foundation and Trustee of National Unity Foundation

The story of Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, is one of sheer hard work and great humility. Though at one-time he was an opposition politician, his views were valued and respected by friends and foes.

Born in Ipoh, on 30th December 1946, he moved into the political arena early in life, becoming the youngest elected representative in the country at the age of 24, and topped it all by remaining undefeated for 20 long years. In his political career, he showed what a true representative of the people
should be.

Caring little for power, pomp, high honour or money he lugged a battered old typewriter in the booth of his car serving the poor and needy of all races.

He braved floods and fires to help the victims. He gave meaning of life to the poor and shared their sorrows. He ultimately gave up his political career after having served as a people’s elected representative for over 20 years and opted to joined several Non Government Organisations (NGOs) and championed various causes.

What is important is that he did not retire from his love for serving humanity. Among the organisations Lee continues to serve include:
1. Chairman of Alliance for Safe Community
2. Chairman of Eco World Foundation
3. Trustee of National Unity Foundation

Though no longer in politics, he is still committed to making known his thoughts and comments through the media on current issues focusing mainly on social, safety and health matters.

Sonia Abraham
Partner, Azman Davidson & Co

Sonia graduated from the University of Kent in 1994. She has practised at Azman Davidson & Co since being called to the Malaysian Bar in 1997 and was made Partner in 2005. She heads the firm’s practice in Employment Law and Industrial Relations. Sonia’s experience in general litigation and Arbitration for 10 years before specializing in Employment Law has deepened her capacity to advise clients from different fields and industries on employment matters.

Over the years Sonia has accumulated vast experience involving Employment law matters. Her experience includes representing companies in Court against claims filed by employees for reinstatement arising from dismissal, constructive dismissal, retrenchment, forced resignation, sexual harassment and advising employers on a wide range of employment related matters including managing employees in a corporate restructuring exercise, closure of businesses/foreign companies in Malaysia, voluntary separation schemes and implementing poor performance plans.

Syilda Ismail
Sr Executive Producer, Kinihalal (Malaysiakini)

More than 19 years experience in media, news and current affairs and knowledge of and experience in the broadcasting industry, particularly in news and current affairs environment. Mental health has been very near to Syilda, she was diagnosed with PTSD and as a result of this she knows full well of the importance of mental wellness and the impact it could bring to one’s personal life and professional career. An advocate of Neuroscience and Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Syilda is now the Senior Executive Producer for her own talkshow called Kinihalal published in Malaysiakini.

Prof (Adj) Dato’ Dr Andrew Mohanraj Chandrasekaran
MBBS (Calicut), MPM (Malaya) Fellowship in Community Psychiatry (Melbourne)

Dr Andrew Mohanraj served the Ministry of Health Malaysia for 12 years before taking up an international assignment after the Asian Tsunami of 2004. As a Consultant Psychiatrist, Mental Health Development Adviser, he has done pioneering work in the establishment of sustainable psychosocial rehabilitation services in Indonesia (post disaster, post conflict), The Philippines(post disaster) and Timor Leste (post conflict). His main achievement in these countries was the campaign of removing physical restraints in people with chronic mental illness. In 2012, Dr. Andrew Mohanraj returned to Malaysia under the Return of the Expert Programme by Talent Corporation, a unit under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Department. He subsequently joined Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine (in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore) as Associate Professor in Psychiatry and its first Director of Clinical Clerkship.

He continues his consultancy work for local and international government and non-government organisations, Dr Mohanraj also served two terms as a member of the Mental Health Promotion Advisory Council to the Minister of Health Malaysia. In 2013, in recognition of Dr. Andrew Mohanraj’s international work in the promotion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), he was appointed by the then Acting Minister for Community Development as a member of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities, in which he served two terms consecutively. Besides running his psychiatric practice in Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, he is engaged in periodic consultancy to provide mental health services to refugees and asylum seekers whose intended destination is Australia.

He is also actively involved in the mainstreaming of mental health issues in Malaysia as the President of the Malaysian Mental Health Association and Policy Advisor to the Green Ribbon Group Malaysia. He also begins his second term as a member of the Board of Directors of the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH). He has also taken up an academic position as Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at Taylor’s University Medical School, Malaysia. As an animal lover and an advocate for animal rights, he has recently taken up the challenge of assuming the post of President of the recently registered Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Malaysia. Beginning 16th July 2021, Dr Andrew Mohanraj has taken up a consultancy with the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office as a Mental Health and Substance Abuse Consultant.

Dr Tiffanie Ong
Cognitive Psychologist and Chief Operating Officer of Naluri

Dr Tiffanie is a cognitive psychologist and Chief Operating Officer at Naluri. She is responsible for the delivery of Naluri’s digital health coaching capability, including recruiting, training and supervising Naluri’s team of health coaches.

She also leads the development of the coaching curriculum, including modules in resilience, readiness to change and growth mindsets. Prior to Naluri, Tiffanie was a consultant at A.T. Kearney and Accenture, where she focused on large-scale operating model transformation, growth strategy and developing digital roadmaps and culture.

She holds a PhD in Cognitive, Perceptual and Brain Sciences from University College London, UK, where she specialised in the psychology of motivation, face perception, and social hierarchy.

Dato’ ‘Aliyah Karen
Social Activist, Trainer and Global Speaker

Dato’ ‘Aliyah is known to many as the ‘pay it forward lady’. After 22 years as a CEO of a CSR Arm in a Public Listed company, ‘Aliyah decided to pursue her PhD when Covid struck. Her idea of a blissful rest took a turn. She established a new Foundation; Health on World Foundation (Y-HOW), advocating mental, emotional and physical well being, a social enterprise AKRAB, a consultation business ABA resources and ABA Luka Care, a wound centre. She help established and advise another new Foundation; A Leap of Faith and assisted a new Hospital with licensing, while running her own trainings and consultancy.

‘Aliyah holds a MBA, majoring in Human Resources management and is a qualified trainer from US and HRDF Malaysia. Her forte is on Management and Operations while she dabbles in Branding & Publicity. It’s no wonder she is frequently called in as a speaker, a judge, a mentor, a trainer and now a consultant. In 2018 she was given the best manager of the year – Europe Business Assembly Oxford. 2019, she was awarded the Woman’s Icon Malaysia (Berg Singapore), Inspiring Woman of Malaysia (Malaysian Business and World leader businessperson (Biz Awards) and in 2020 she was named the Global Goodwill Ambassador for Malaysia (GGA Foundation) and the Malaysia’s Woman Leader (CMO Asia & World Woman Leadership Congress). In December 2020, she was awarded the Malaysian Woman’s Leader 2020 by CMO Global India / CMO Global Asia.

Ranjitha Malar
Head of Recruitment of Big2Bazaar

Ranjitha Malar has more than 14 years of experience in human resource field including but not limited to compensation & benefits, talent management, employee relations and engagement. She places great emphasis on positive workplace mental wellbeing and encourages open discussions about emotions and mental health in workplace.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, she was the talent manager of a claim consultant company. The pandemic has pushed the company into business diversification and Ranjitha is now the head of recruitment of Big2Bazaar.