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Ministry of Health
Speeches

SPEECH BY MDM RAHAYU MAHZAM, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AND INFORMATION & MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT MENOPAUSE MATTERS: REAL CONVERSATIONS FOR BETTER MIDLIFE HEALTH

17 October 2026

1.             Hello, everyone. Good morning, ladies, and also some gentlemen here.

2.             What a pleasure to join you today. You know, a lot of times, the first thing in your day always sets the mood, right? And I am so glad this is my first event for the day. I have got a long day today, but this is perking me up because there are so many things that are going right.

3.             Firstly, we are amongst the community – a very nice setting, very relaxed, chill session, and we are discussing a very meaningful topic.

4.             And I am particularly heartened because this is something that is ground-up. It is the community and different stakeholders and partners coming together.

5.             We are in Foreword Coffee, and it is a place where I understand also champions special needs, and that is something close to my heart.

6.             We also have wonderful founders, Elmer and also Valery here, for championing a very important cause. And Surety Singapore has done meaningful work in sharing about menopause, and I think they are continuing in this momentum.

7.             And also, thank you so much to the partners, Mei Ling and Irene here today from Watsons. And I know that there are many healthcare practitioners in the midst, offering your time, and also volunteers doing this because it is important.

8.             Just now, Joanne (the emcee) mentioned about a speech that I did in Parliament. It was in response to an adjournment motion raised by Dr Razwana Begum, and she talked about how it was important to create awareness and build capabilities around menopause.

9.             And one thing I said was that the community has a role to play in creating safe spaces for conversation and normalisation of menopause. And I am so glad that sometimes things you say really happen.

10.         Two years later, this is me participating in this event. Of course, this has nothing to do with me – it is the fact that the work is ongoing. But I always feel so privileged to be able to see firsthand how the community comes together and deals with issues that are important to us.

11.         You know, menopause is something that I think sometimes is really put at the back. Because, you know, when you have babies or when you are pregnant, it is celebrated, right? So there is a lot of information on it, and people give it to you and support you.

12.         I mean, we are also developing a lot of things on maternity and postnatal care now. But menopause is one of those topics that you may feel like a seasoned and steady woman, and then a lot of things you say, "It's okay lah, just tahan."

13.         And I want to ask you today to not tahan and address it. Feel what you are feeling, and understand what is happening to your body, get the information, and let more women know about this.

14.         Because there are a lot of things that we can prevent, we can manage, and have support on.

15.         And that is, I think, the most important thing that I hope we can achieve from today. Because there are a lot of ongoing efforts, but they will only make a difference if you live it, if you bring these conversations beyond this place, and if we continue to work together as a community.

16.         I am really looking forward to the conversations. I am not a healthcare expert. I am in the Ministry of Health, but that does not mean I know how to answer all your questions. But I am glad that you have healthcare practitioners later you can ask specific questions to.

17.         And I think settings like this are nice, because if you ask someone to stand in a conference and talk about that, it can be a bit shy, right? But you create these safe spaces where everybody is here for the right reasons, and the right people to give you correct information about it.

18.         I hope you will do that, but maybe the conversations later will trigger some thoughts and hopefully nudge movements in this effort. Looking forward to a wonderful conversation with you. Thank you.