Congratulations to Dato’ Dr. Lai Fong Hwa — Silver Ribbon–Ellen Lee Global Mental Health Award Recipient

Dato Dr. Lai Fong Hwa (Second from the right) being honored with the Silver Ribbon at the Mental Health Awards Ceremony 2025, alongside distinguished guests and officials.

We are pleased to share that our dedicated AFTC Academic and Clinical team member and therapist, Dato’ Dr. Lai Fong Hwa, has been awarded the Silver Ribbon–Ellen Lee Global Mental Health Award for his outstanding contributions to mental health advocacy and service.

A psychiatrist by training, Dato’ Dr. Lai has devoted his career to promoting mental health awareness and reducing stigma in Malaysia. After graduating in medicine (1987) and psychiatry (1994) from the University of Malaya, he served at Hospital Pulau Pinang until his retirement in 2019 and received further training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Oxford, UK.

Despite having only 2% central vision, Dato’ Dr. Lai continues to raise awareness, provide free community treatment, and inspire others with his perseverance and compassion.

We congratulate Dato’ Dr. Lai and his wife, Indranee, on this well-deserved recognition and thank him for his unwavering dedication to the field of mental health.