CAP: Here's how the government can do more to prevent suicide

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IN 2020, 266 people took their own lives between March 19 and Oct 30, while there were 1, 080 suicide attempts according to the Health Ministry. The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) is concerned because these figures are just the tip of the iceberg and on the rise. The government needs to incorporate suicide prevention in the National Recovery Plan (NRP).

Government agencies were flooded with 145, 175 distress calls between March 25, 2020, and May 20, 2021. A breakdown shows that 85.5% of the calls were related to mental health issues requiring emotional support and counselling for acute stress, anxiety, depression, abuse, and suicidal behaviour. Of these, 25% were attributed to debt; 24% to family problems; and 23% to marital problems. Never has Malaysia witnessed the despair of so many jobless, hungry and homeless people, having to depend on soup kitchens and other charities for their meals.

According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, as of February 2021, 777, 500 Malaysians were unemployed. Unemployment is a situation that can cause despair and hopelessness and, coupled with feelings of loneliness caused by movement restrictions, can drive people to display suicidal behaviour.