Tuanku Zara attends Perak mental health society's 60th anniversary dinner

IPOH: The Perak Society for the Promotion of Mental Health (PSPMH), which began as a modest clinic in Ipoh, is marking six decades of providing mental health care and rehabilitation.

Raja Permaisuri Perak Tuanku Zara Salim attended a dinner to mark the society's 60th anniversary at the Royal Perak Golf Club today.

Also present were Perak Menteri Besar's wife Datin Seri Aezer Zubin, state secretary Datuk Ahmad Suaidi Abdul Rahim and organising committee chairman Nasir Ismail.

The celebration also honoured the late Datuk Dr Madhuri Majumder, who served as the society's president from 1986 and introduced rehabilitation and therapy programmes for patients with psychosocial illnesses.

Dr Madhuri, a respected humanitarian and community leader, died on May 13, 2024, aged 93. She was also recognised as Malaysia's first woman dermatologist.

In his speech, Nasir said the society's six-decade journey reflected its continued commitment to mental health and well-being.

"The late Datuk Dr Madhuri Majumder was widely known for her humility, compassion and humanitarian service across various fields," he said.

Nasir said the society began as a modest clinic in Club Street, run by the Rotary Club of Ipoh with the support of 18 founding members.

"From these humble beginnings, the centre continued to grow and has today become one of the best-managed mental rehabilitation institutions in the state and the country," he said.

Tuanku Zara later cut a commemorative cake to mark the milestone.

Established in October 1967 as a pilot project to rehabilitate mental health patients, the society initially operated from the Luther Clinic in Clarke Street, Ipoh, where several patients from Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta received daily care.

Today, the centre provides psychiatric rehabilitation, residential care and sheltered work opportunities, including orchid cultivation and handicrafts.