Dear ACBS Malaysia Chapter members and Contextual Behavioural Science (CBS) practitioners,

To our new members, welcome to our family. We hope you find great value in our chapter. To our existing members, thank you for your support and involvement throughout the years.

Our chapter has always emphasised diversity, equality, and radical acceptance. This is reflected in our choice of activities and the manner in which we lead the chapter. As I take on the reins of leadership today, might I also add that our choice of leadership has consistently reflected these values. Our past leaders in this chapter have included a psychiatrist, a registered counsellor, and now, a clinical psychologist. How many mental health societies in Malaysia can proudly boast such a track record?

I would like to continue fostering our relationships and the growth of this chapter with these same values. Everyone should be treated with respect, kindness, and dignity. The chapter will not focus on profit-making or other selfish purposes, but instead on the growth and development of each individual member and the chapter as a whole. Bearing this in mind, I have outlined several areas to focus on during my tenure as President.

Building on our previous collaboration with Timor-Leste last year, I aspire to further expand our connections with our neighbours. This includes exploring the possibility of a Southeast Asian (SEA) Affiliation and extending support to other nations. We aim to assist in developing more independent chapters within these countries. We will work with the relevant ACBS committees on this matter. We welcome any opportunities for cooperation that wish to strengthen CBS in the region.

Locally, our work within Malaysia will greatly benefit from having more trainers in CBS. I want to empower members to become trainers by increasing the availability of opportunities, guidance, and resources for them. It has always been a dream of the chapter to produce our first peer-reviewed trainer, and I am hopeful in fulfilling this dream.

Building on other past initiatives, we also aim to sustain the development and utilisation of the TReK project, further solidifying its commitment to growth and collaboration within the region. The TReK project focuses on ACT in the Malay language. Whilst the translation was completed many years ago, we aim to advance this initiative by continuously refining and improving this translation. This will be done with the full understanding that local culture and social norms must be fully integrated into TReK.

Research and publications in CBS have grown exponentially in the past few years. The majority of these researchers are active members of our chapter. We wish to form a research network within our chapter to further strengthen research capabilities locally and also leverage them with international research networks. We would also like to build a platform for these researchers to disseminate their work to the public.

I once doubted my ability to lead the chapter because I was in an environment that was not workable. It was by being in this chapter for the last four years, guided and supported by great friends and mentors, that I found my voice and footing. I still distinctly remember how the past two presidents of this chapter, together with the wider ACBS community, pushed me to deliver a speech to our counterparts in Timor-Leste. The steadfast confidence, encouragement, and support I’ve received gave me the courage to move out of my comfort zone, embrace the opportunity to challenge myself, and to grow. This is the very same support that I promise to carry on within the chapter. I believe that if our actions are driven by a heart truly open to growth, learning, collaboration, and support, especially when the going gets tough, this chapter can continue to be an environment for our members to try, make mistakes, learn to collaborate with others, and grow not just within their own professional development but also alongside other mental health professionals.

Thank you. 

-Wan Kah Mun