KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Psychiatric Association has called upon the government to repeal the Section 309 of the Penal Code that provides punishment for an attempted act of suicide.
Its vice-president, Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Muhsin Ahmad Zahari, said punishment and threat of vindication by law not only keep people in crisis away from seeking the much needed help but could potentially worsen their suffering.
“Individuals who attempt suicide or self-harm are in duress and at their most vulnerable, and most of them see it as an end to suffering,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Dr Muhammad Muhsin said instead of spending money prosecuting those who have attempted suicide, a better investment in the nation’s mental health and National Suicide Prevention Strategy would go a long way towards preventing suicide.- Bernama
