Mohamad Abu Bakar during his speech at the Conference. – Photo from Ukas

KUCHING (Oct 9: The mental health of civil servants has now become one of the key agendas of the Sarawak government, said State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki.

He was cited in a Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas) report as saying that both mental and physical wellbeing must be given serious attention to ensure a more productive and efficient public service.

According to him, health was one of the main topics discussed with the heads of department during a recent Sarawak Civil Service (SCS) programme in Brunei Darussalam.

“As civil servants, we cannot overlook issues related to health, whether mental or physical. This matter must be prioritised,” he said when officiating the SCS Conference on Psychology, Counselling and Wellbeing in Kuch­ing yesterday.

He also urged the Human Resource Development and Management Unit to increase awareness efforts on health among civil servants.

“Good health will lead to high productivity. Although health issues are sometimes unavoidable, proper healthcare and preventive measures should be prioritised,” he added.

Around 800 attendees from various public service agencies attended the conference.