KUALA LUMPUR: As ASEAN commemorates its 54th Anniversary today amid the COVID-19 pandemic, for Malaysia the pandemic is beyond just a health and economic crisis.

Malaysia's Senior Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the well being of an individual, specifically the mental health was also crucial.

"...there is a third thrust that we need to look into which is the well-being of the individual, specifically mental health," he said in his remarks at the 56th ASEAN Day celebration held virtually, on Friday.

His speech text was made available to the media here by the Malaysian Foreign Ministry.

He said the World Health Organisation, had also stressed that it is imperative that people should be given adequate mental support during the outbreak.

As the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly sweeps across the world, considerable degree of fear, worry and concern were induced on the population at large, with certain groups in particular, such as older adults, care providers and people with underlying health conditions being the most vulnerable.

Citing Malaysia's experience, the senior minister said government institutions such as the Health Ministry and the Youth and Sports Ministry have embarked on efforts to address mental health issues, ranging from counselling programmes, suicide prevention campaigns and community engagements.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) are also on board, he added, and play their part to spread awareness on the importance of mental health, promoting a whole-of-society approach.

"Green Ribbon Group, for instance, acts as a social enterprise that empowers stakeholders involved in raising mental health awareness through advocacy, fundraising and collaboration.

Meanwhile, Hishammudddin also said that Brunei's ASEAN Chairmanship theme for this year -- ''We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper" also resonates with ASEAN's collective commitment to harness the caring nature of the ASEAN Community.

It also reflects ASEAN's priority this year, ensuring urgent reprieve from the pandemic's devastating impact on lives and livelihood.

"In difficult times like these, we need each other. Only by working together, can we succeed in navigating these difficult waters," he added.

Fifty-four years ago on Aug 8, 1967, five Foreign Ministers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand signed a document, the ASEAN Declaration, that marked the birth of the grouping. ASEAN has since evolved from the five founding nations, into a bloc of cooperation of ten member states.

-- BERNAMA