KUALA LUMPUR – Following the recent spate of suicide cases, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) is urging Putrajaya to revive the National Suicide Registry Malaysia (NSRM) to provide the public with access to nationwide case data.
The commission said in a statement today that suicides in Malaysia are often recorded as “accidental death” instead of suicide, leading to the lack of psycho-social support for the victim’s family that would otherwise have been provided.
This could also trigger suicidal thoughts or tendencies in other family members.
“Suhakam calls for a revival of the establishment of the NSRM, which was initiated in 2007 to provide the public with access to data on suicides in the country.
“A quality data collection system that includes age, gender, ethnicity, state and the manner in which the suicide is carried out will facilitate the development of effective policies and long-term solutions in preventing suicides in society.
“In the interest of reducing socio-economic pressures on society during the Covid-19 pandemic, Suhakam calls for an expedient vaccination roll-out, expansion of voluntary testing and early detection, and targeted movement control orders.”
It added that this will allow for more sectors of society to regain access to work and livelihoods, resumption of schools, return to some normalcy in their lives and, possibly, a reduction in suicides.
The pandemic has taken a toll on the physical well-being and mental health of many people, particularly those who experienced sudden loss of income, said Suhakam.
The commission said there are many risk factors that may lead to suicidal thoughts and suicides, including medical, psychosocial or financial distress, compounded by social isolation, lack of family support or inability to access counselling or mental health services.
Whilst the manifestation of suicides is often attributed to mental health reasons, societal and communal roles should also be considered in efforts to address this public health issue, it said.
Health services, especially mental health support, must be made available to those in need, it said, especially to anyone who may be having suicidal thoughts.
“Equal access to timely and appropriate care and assistance should be provided to those who are most vulnerable, including children, the poor, downtrodden and marginalised, as that would be afforded to the general Malaysian society.
“Information on early signs of mental health problems and access to mental health care and support ought to be disseminated, while stigma against those with mental health problems should be recognised and banished, once and for all.” – The Vibes, June 30, 2021
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