Greetings to my fellow colleagues.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all members for giving me this chance to be the first female President of MPA for the next two years. It was a fruitful Biennial General Meeting that was held recently, and I personally felt humbled by the task ahead. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the new committee members, and I hope we will be able to work together diligently. This committee will continue the good work done by the previous committee and in this respect I would like to take this opportunity to thank the previous Presidents of MPA, Dr. Abdul Kadir Abu Bakar for his valuable contribution to the Association. The 1st AFPA and 18th MCPM that was just concluded had been a successful event, and we will be having another meeting next year.

Please also remember to check our website, as it is regularly updated for the benefit of us all. Feel free to email us information, educational materials and articles that you wish to publish in MPA’s website www.psychiatry-malaysia.org to be shared with your fellow members and the public. We are also keen to publish event details of any upcoming events that you know of. Please email the details to info@psychiatry-malaysia.org.

This committee will work diligently to promote public education and will make stigma and discrimination a key issue in our efforts to ensure that the rights of the mentally ill are not compromised. The issues on women mental health, youth mental health and psychosocial rehabilitation for mentally ills will be prioritized.

I would like to encourage more centers and hospitals to involve and apply for the Circle of Care fund for rehabilitation projects. We, the new committees hope to see all members playing a more active role in the association, and work together for our profession.

Lastly, I would also invite all members to discuss issues professionally so that we can bring MPA to greater heights.

Thank you!

Professor Dr. Nor Zuraida Zainal

President 2014 – 2016

Malaysian Psychiatric Association