Better Dads Malaysia

CNY Reunion is more than gathering at a table - it's gathering around a father's heart. A father sets the warmth that turns a house into home.

May this Chinese New Year draw your family closer, fill your home with laughter, and strengthen the bonds that matter most.

Wishing you a blessed Chinese New Year!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDAIsDZ5A4Q

The most dangerous inequality in Malaysia today isn’t income.
It’s presence.

The formative years for boys are 7–11.
Ironically, that’s when many fathers are busiest climbing the corporate ladder.

After sitting with thousands of men—from CEOs to laborers—Jason Leong uncovered a hard truth:
when fathers are absent (not just physically, but emotionally), boys pay the price.

We’re seeing the fallout everywhere—campus su***des, youth violence, a prison population that’s 94% male.

This conversation is not about guilt.
It’s about responsibility, clarity, and courage.

🎥 In this episode, you’ll discover:
• Why prosperity can create weak men—and hardship can forge strong ones
• The one role no other man can ever replace
• Why a simple moment (like teaching your son to ride a bike) can echo for 60 years
• A practical framework to move from busy provider to intentional father

The solution exists.
But it costs something.

If this video resonates with you, don’t stop here.
Take the next step by joining one of our Better Dads Fathering Workshops, where we help fathers turn insight into daily action—at home, not just in theory.

Join the BDM Fathering Workshop and discover practical, proven ways to build stronger connections with your children.

BDM Fathering Workshop
Date: 31 January 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Venue: World Vision Malaysia
106, Block A, Kelana Centre Point,
Jalan SS 7/19, SS7,
47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

REGISTER NOW: https://tinyurl.com/59hj5ysy

Why Dads Are the Last Line of Defense for Lost Boys | Better Dads Malaysia's Jason Leong The formative years are 7 to 11. The irony? That's when fathers are busiest climbing corporate ladders.Jason Leong (Co-Founder of Better Dads Malaysia) has ...

Calling All Dads, Dads-to-be, and Father Figures in Kuala Lumpur

Learn to Be a Better Dad

Join the BDM Fathering Workshop and discover practical, proven ways to build stronger connections with your children.

Event Details
Date: 31 January 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Venue: World Vision Malaysia
106, Block A, Kelana Centre Point,
Jalan SS 7/19, SS7,
47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Fee: RM350
Limited to 20 participants only

Register Now:
https://tinyurl.com/59hj5ysy

Enquiries:
Jason: 017-669 6252
Joshua: 012-386 6780

Bonus: Fathering Profile (Worth RM450)
Receive a personalized assessment that helps you identify your strengths and growth areas as a father.

Invest one day. Impact a lifetime.

Join us for an inspiring conversation on modern fatherhood and positive masculinity!

Whether you're a father, father-figure, mentor, or someone who cares about helping boys grow into confident and emotionally strong young men — this free community event is for you.

🗓 Saturday, 29 November
⏰ 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Sandbox Coworking Space, Sri Petaling

Hear from Damian Graizevsky, Maurizio Rosini, and Jason Leong as they share practical insights on:
✓ Redefining fatherhood in the modern age
✓ Why fathers need brotherhood
✓ Raising boys in a digital world

Let’s grow together in presence, connection, and community.

👉 Register now using the link: https://luma.com/ucaq0hug
QR code or DM +60 10 256 1259 for more info.

Better Dads Malaysia co-founders Jason Leong and Joshua Hong share their journey as parents, the importance of positive male role models and how the NGO helps fathers become more emotionally nurturing. Read more in our cover story this week.

https://youtu.be/ZC8pJeiowpc?si=jfU4uZr6rRaQtbkt

Better Dads Malaysia invites you to join us tonight for the 6th International Symposium on Fathering (ISF 2025)!
📅 25 November 2025
⏰ 8:00 PM (Online Event)

This year’s theme:

“Fathers for the Future: Building Mentally Strong Families in the Age of AI”

As we honour International Men’s Day, we gather fathers, educators, youth leaders, and community builders for a timely and urgent conversation about fatherhood in a rapidly changing digital world.

Programme Highlights

🟦 Session 1: The Resilient Father: Leading with Strength in the Age of AI — Joshua Hong

🟦 Session 2: Beyond Toughness: Redefining Masculinity for a New Generation of Men — Damian Graizevsky

🟦 Session 3: From Screens to Scars: Understanding Teen Misogyny and Online Hate — Jason Leong

🟦 Forum Discussion: Fathers for the Future: Building Mentally Strong Families in a Digital World

Moderator: Jason Leong
Discussants: Damian Graizevsky & Prof. Dr. Yi-Ren Wang

Tonight, we celebrate men who choose presence over pressure, resilience over retreat, and connection over convenience.

👉 Happening tonight — 25 November 2025 @ 8pm
👉 Online event — open to all who desire stronger, healthier families

Let’s rise together — one father, one family, one future.

“Fathers for the Future: Building Mentally Strong Families in the Age of AI” Better Dads Malaysia invites you to join us tonight for the 6th International Symposium on Fathering (ISF 2025)!📅 25 November 2025⏰ 8:00 PM (Online Event)Th...

🌟 BDM – International Men’s Day Greeting

Happy International Men’s Day from Better Dads Malaysia!

Today, we celebrate every man who chooses to lead with heart, humility, and strength. Whether you are a father, mentor, brother, teacher, or friend — your presence shapes lives in ways technology never can.

“Technology builds tools. Fathers build people.
This International Men’s Day, we honour men who lead their families with strength, empathy, and resilience.”

Thank you for rising up, showing up, and building a better future — one child, one family, one moment at a time.

6 Years of Better Dads Malaysia: A National Movement, A Family of Hope

Today marks 6 years of Better Dads Malaysia — six years of conversations, courage, and commitment to one simple but nation-shaping belief:

Every child deserves an involved, responsible, and committed father.

What began in 2019 as a small but determined movement has now grown into a national force for good. Over the past six years, we have had the privilege of witnessing the power of fatherhood transform families, renew communities, and strengthen the fabric of our nation.

As we look back, our hearts are full.

Our Milestones: Six Years of Impact

With God’s grace and the unwavering support of fathers, families, partners, volunteers, and Malaysians everywhere, as at the end of 2024, we are humbled to have reached:

• 5.4 million people through digital content
• 68,200 fathers directly through workshops, talks, and programs
• 348,600 families impacted across Malaysia

From fathering workshops in English, Malay and Chinese, forums and talks on online safety, navigating the teen years for parents, mental health and Father–Child bonding activities, we have journeyed alongside thousands of men seeking to become better fathers, better husbands, and better men.

Serving the Nation Together

Our movement grew because Malaysia needed it. And because leaders across sectors believed in it.

Over these six years, we have been honoured to work with ministries, government agencies, NGOs, corporations, universities, schools, and communities across the country — including:

• Ministry of Women, Family & Community Development & Lembaga Penduduk dan Pembangunan Keluarga Negara (LPPKN) on paternity leave reforms, fatherhood policies, National Father’s Day celebrations, co-parenting discussions, appointed to the Task Force to develop and formulate Malaysia’s first official National Fathering Workshop Module (Modul Kebapaan) and Task Force on Family Impact Assessments.

• Ministry of Education on the “Back to School with Dad” campaign.

• Ministry of Home Affairs & several Malaysian Prisons to conduct fatherhood workshops for incarcerated fathers and reintegration programs.

• Prime Minister’s Department and Minister in charge of Religious Affairs to address issues from online harms and online radicalisation to po*******hy, substance abuse, and youth risks.

• Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Law and Institutional Reform in respect of laws to decriminalise su***de, reforms for prisons, and laws to protect children from sexual offenses.

• Ministry of Health on mental health and workplace mental health initiatives.

• International collaborations with UNICEF, UNHCR, ASEAN-Japan Center, and leading fatherhood organisations globally have helped us anchor Malaysia’s work within a growing regional and global movement.

A Movement Growing Stronger Each Year

In these six years, we have:

✔ Organized National & International Fathering Symposiums
✔ Celebrated Father’s Day at national level since 2021
✔ Recognised exemplary fathers and father-friendly companies
✔ Raised national awareness through media, forums, and campaigns such as Back to School with Dad, Men and Students’ Mental Health, and Teens & Digital Screens

And perhaps the most meaningful of all:
We have seen countless men rediscover hope, rebuild relationships, heal brokenness, and step courageously into the role their families need them to play.

Why We Do What We Do

Because when a father heals, a family heals.
When a father grows, a nation grows.
When men lead with love, courage, and integrity — society flourishes.

Malaysia’s future depends not only on economic progress, but on strong families. And strong families are built on present, engaged, emotionally healthy fathers.

This is why Better Dads Malaysia exists.
This is why we continue.

Our Gratitude

To every father who attended a workshop, every mother who encouraged him, every volunteer who served tirelessly, every partner and donor who believed in this mission — thank you.

To the national agencies, corporate partners, collaborating NGOs and CSOs, faith groups, universities, schools, and community groups who opened your doors to us — we honour you.

And to our Core Team, facilitators, trainers, advisors who served on a volunteer basis, and our supporters nationwide and beyond the nation’s shores — you are the unseen backbone of this movement. None of this would have been possible without your sacrifice and belief.

The Next Chapter

As we enter our 7th year and the next exciting chapter, we renew our commitment:

• To reach more fathers
• To strengthen more families
• To equip more communities
• To influence more national policies
• To continue transforming our nation — one father at a time

Malaysia needs fathers. Families need fathers.
And fathers need a community.

We are that community.
We are Better Dads Malaysia.

And our journey is only beginning.

May we continue to bring encouragement, inspiration, and strength to the families we serve and bring a greater influence and impact on our society today.

Happy 6th Anniversary, Better Dads Malaysia.
Here’s to many more years of building stronger fathers, stronger families, and a stronger Malaysia.

— Better Dads Malaysia Core Team

🎉 INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY ANNOUNCEMENT

Better Dads Malaysia is excited to announce that the 6th International Symposium on Fathering (ISF 2025) will be held online on 25 November 2025 at 8pm!

This year’s theme:

“Fathers for the Future: Building Mentally Strong Families in the Age of AI”

Join us for a powerful, timely, and deeply relevant conversation on fatherhood in today’s digital world.

Programme Highlights

🟦 Session 1: The Resilient Father: Leading with Strength in the Age of AI — Joshua Hong

🟦 Session 2: Beyond Toughness: Redefining Masculinity for a New Generation of Men — Damian Graizevsky

🟦 Session 3: From Screens to Scars: Understanding Teen Misogyny and Online Hate — Jason Leong

🟦 Forum Discussion: Fathers for the Future: Building Mentally Strong Families in a Digital World

Moderator: Jason Leong
Discussants: Damian Graizevsky & Prof. Dr. Yi-Ren Wang

This International Men’s Day, we celebrate men who choose presence over pressure, resilience over retreat, and connection over convenience.

👉 Mark your calendar: 25 November 2025 @ 8pm
👉 Online event — open to fathers, educators, youth leaders, and anyone passionate about strong families

Let’s rise together — one father, one family, one future.

The alarming rise in youth violence, misogynistic attitudes and extremist thinking among teenagers has become a critical concern for families and communities.

A new dimension is added by online spaces where young people spend hours, not only absorbing content, but also being shaped by peer groups, influencers and hateful narratives.

The British series Adolescence on Netflix starkly illustrated this – a 13-year-old boy, immersed in misogynistic online sub-cultures, is involved in a shocking crime, raising urgent questions about how we reach our teens without hate taking root.

The problem is deeper than isolated acts of misogyny or hate. Social media has become a stage where gender-based contempt, dehumanisation of others and extreme behaviour find recognition.

Young people are vulnerable when they feel excluded, criticised, powerless – or when they believe that showing anger or violence will earn them belonging, status or respect.

Adolescence explored how toxic masculinity, resentment towards women and online hate merge with adolescent identity crises and lead to tragic outcomes.

https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2025/10/23/tackling-teen-misogyny-online-hate-and-social-media-risks

Tackling teen misogyny, online hate and social media risks Social media has become a stage where gender-based contempt, dehumanisation of others and extreme behaviour find recognition.

When Fathers Step Back, Children Fall Through: Tragedies That Remind Us

Why Fathers Matter More Than Ever
Kuala Lumpur, 23 October 2025 — The recent tragedy involving a secondary schoolboy who fatally stabbed his female schoolmate reminds us of an earlier tragedy in Melaka where a teenage boy stabbed and killed his mother and brother in a single-mother household. These incidents have shocked the nation
and raised urgent questions about what is happening inside our homes, hearts, and screens.

Beyond the headlines of crime and grief lies a deeper issue: the silent crisis of disconnection between fathers and their children. Whether through physical absence, emotional withdrawal, or a lack of engagement in their children’s digital lives, many fathers today are struggling to stay truly connected.

The Modern Battleground: Offline Violence, Online Seeds
In an age when young people’s identities and emotions are increasingly shaped by social media, online gaming, and peer validation, the home has become the new front line. What begins as frustration, loneliness, or curiosity online can evolve into darker impulses when left unchecked.

Children who feel unseen or unheard — especially boys — can internalize anger and alienation. When there is no father figure to model empathy, resilience, or self-control, these emotions may fester in secret until they erupt in destructive ways.

Watching Social Media: Balancing Oversight and Trust

Many fathers admit they are uncertain about how much to monitor their children’s online world. Too much control destroys trust; too little risks missing red flags.

Practical approaches that families and community organisations can adopt
include:
• Learning the platforms their children use and recognising signals of harm
— such as secretive deletion, sudden account changes, or involvement in violent or extremist groups.
• Establishing clear but reasonable rules for device use and online time, with consequences agreed in advance.
• Holding regular, non-judgmental check-ins where children can talk about what they see and feel online.
• Encouraging offline alternatives — sports, mentorships, community service, and family projects that expand their identity beyond screens.
• Normalising help-seeking — making mental health support an ordinary part of family life, not a last resort.

These are practical, culturally sensitive steps that fathers can lead and model within their families and communities.

Where Better Dads Malaysia Fits In
Better Dads Malaysia (BDM) seeks to equip fathers with the emotional and practical skills to nurture healthy, resilient families. Through workshops, community programmes, and partnerships with schools and government agencies, BDM focuses on:

• Emotional literacy and communication skills for fathers and sons;
• Non-violent conflict resolution and positive discipline;
• Digital parenting and online safety awareness.
For many men who have never been taught how to talk about feelings, set boundaries around social media, or recognise early warning signs,

Organisations like BDM translate research and counselling principles into every day, real-life fathering.

In the wake of these tragedies, BDM’s mission is urgently relevant: training fathers to be present, to listen without judgment, and to build homes where children feel safe to speak before they act.

According to Jason Leong, the co-founder and advisor of Better Dads Malaysia:
“When fathers are absent — physically or emotionally — children grow up searching for affirmation elsewhere. But when fathers are present, listening, guiding, and staying engaged — even in their children’s digital world — they become the anchor that keeps a child from drifting toward despair or violence.”

A Plea and a Plan

Better Dads Malaysia calls on government, schools, and communities to take three concrete steps:
1. Strengthen school-based counselling and early-warning systems, and ensure schools partner with fatherhood and family-strengthening programmes.
2. Fund and scale parent education initiatives, especially those helping
fathers build emotional and digital literacy.
3. Normalise mental-health conversations in families, breaking the stigma that stops boys and men from seeking help.