How Budget 2026 Should Address Mental Health Needs

Cindy Chew, Head of Community Development, Thrive Well | Associate Professor Dr Amer Siddiq bin Amer Nordin, Consultant Psychiatrist, University Malaya Medical Centre

06-Oct-25 16:00

How Budget 2026 Should Address Mental Health Needs

Pause
Embed

Mental health is one of the most urgent public health issues in our population, yet often the funding for mental health services falls far behind compared to other health issues. Ahead of the tabling of Budget 2026, we take a look at the gaps in mental health care and access that need to be addressed, and how much that can be plugged with more funding, with Cindy Chew, Head of Community Development at Thrive Well and Assoc prof Dr Amer Siddiq bin Amer Nordin, consultant psychiatrist at University Malaya Medical Centre.

Brought to you by Mah Sing. Reinvent Spaces. Enhance Life.

Image Credit: Shuttertsock

Produced by: Lim Sue Ann

Presented by: Lim Sue Ann

This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories: health policy

Tags: the bigger picture, health & living, budget 2026, Belanjawan 2026, Budget-2026-Mahsing, mental health, social determinants of health, poverty, health equity, healthcare access, Budget2026,

Today’s Shows

11:00 AM

Best of Enterprise

(REPEAT) Sharmini Ann Jacob from KPMG Malaysia talks about turning national workforce priorities into real organisational capability, in the age of AI.

12:00 PM

Just For Kicks

(REPEAT) We look back at the semi final matches of the Carabao Cup that saw Arsenal and Man City booking their places in the final, and look ahead to Matchweek 25 of the EPL!

1:00 PM

A Bit of Culture

(REPEAT) Kam, Zan Azlee and Hafiz Noor Shams sit down together to talk about EPF retirement fund, James Brooke and the collapsing prestige of the west.

2:00 PM

Ringgit & Sense

(REPEAT) Ian Wong, Founder & CEO of Uno Advisers and licensed financial planner, shares the financial mistakes you don’t want to make in 2026.

2:30 PM

The Property Show

(REPEAT) Dr. Tan Loke Mun, Principal of DrTanLM Architect, assesses KL's River of Life project 15 years on.

3:00 PM

Best of The Bigger Picture

(REPEAT) What do the Epstein files teach us about power? To try and make sense of it all, we speak to Peter Beattie, Political Economist and Political Psychologist from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)

4:00 PM

Best of Evening Edition

(REPEAT) With the launch of the Education Plan 2026–2035, we examine whether it can realistically deliver on the country’s ambitions as the government maps out its next decade-long direction for the education system.

5:00 PM

BBC World Service

This special episode of The Life Scientific features Dr. Eleanor Schofield, talking about her work conserving centuries-old wood and metal.

PROGRAMMES