KUCHING: In a significant shift towards legal reforms, Malaysia has decriminalised suicide attempts by passing the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2023.
This legislative change aims to grant Crisis Intervention Officers (CIOs) the authority to apprehend individuals with (or suspected to have) a mental disorder who pose a threat to themselves or others or are attempting to commit suicide.
CIOs include personnel from agencies such as the police, Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency, Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Department, and Welfare Department.
The bill is part of a set of legislative changes recognizing suicide as a mental illness that requires treatment, rather than punishment.
Dr Ravivarma Rao Panirselvam, a psychiatrist, explained that the decriminalisation of suicide attempts would help people in a suicidal crisis to access services they need without the fear of being prosecuted.
Dr Ravivarma said that this change would pave the way for a compassionate society and reduce the stigma surrounding suicidal behavior.
Furthermore, it would enable accurate mapping of suicide rates, which is crucial for implementing suicide prevention initiatives and reducing the number of suicides.
The Dewan Rakyat also passed the Penal Code (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2023, which eliminates Section 309 from the Penal Code.
This provision previously imposed penalties, including up to one year in jail, a fine, or both, for individuals who attempted suicide.
Dr Ravivarma said that these amendments are a significant step forward in understanding mental health and suicide, and they send a strong message that suicide is not a crime, but rather a sign of a mental health problem that needs to be treated.
According to the National Health & Morbidity Survey 2022, there is a growing concern regarding suicidal behavior among students aged 13-17 years old.
Out of 37,479 students, 33,523 participated in the study. The findings indicate that 1 in 8 students had suicidal thoughts, and 1 in 10 had attempted suicide.
It was observed that a higher percentage of girls (18.5 per cent) than boys (7.6 per cent) reported having suicidal thoughts, and more girls (13.4 per cent) than boys (3.7 per cent) had attempted suicide.
Dr. Ravivarma emphasised the need for regular training and capacity building, particularly involving peer workers and individuals with lived experiences of suicidal behavior.
Collaborative efforts should focus on developing effective models to address the needs of individuals with suicidal tendencies.
