The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) is considering decriminalising suicide attempts, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday.
The decision to consider was made after the government studied laws regarding suicide attempts in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, India, and Singapore.
“Hence, based on the law development in the studied countries, the AGC is considering the recommendation from stakeholders to remove suicide attempts from the criminal justice system.
“It's also considering placing individuals who are attempting suicide into the healthcare system so they can receive the appropriate treatment,” Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a written reply to an MP during yesterday’s Parliament sitting.
He was responding to Tenom MP Noorita Sual’s questions on the development of suicide decriminalisation and the number of suicide attempt cases that have been prosecuted since 2018.
Ismail Sabri, however, did not answer Noorita on when a bill for suicide decriminalisation will be tabled and debated in the Parliament.
He said the AGC is currently weighing on its legal options and ramifications of removing suicide attempts from the criminal justice system.
“Furthermore, AGC is studying the need to amend other laws that will arise from the removal of suicide attempts from the criminal system,” he said.
There are 902 cases of suicide attempts recorded from 2018 to June 2021, Ismail Sabri added, and the numbers of prosecuted cases are 261 cases in 2018, 243 cases in 2019, 223 cases in 2020, and 175 cases from January till June this year.
The calls for the decriminalisation of suicide have been making rounds for a long time.
Proponents are saying that individuals attempting suicide should receive mental healthcare instead of criminal punishments which will only further add stigma to the victims.
The Health Ministry previously backed a push to decriminalise suicide, with its director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and minister Khairy Jamaluddin speaking out on mental health.
If you are feeling depressed or suicidal, or know someone who is, please call the following hotlines:
Talian Kasih
15999
The Befrienders
03-76272929
Agape Counselling Centre Malaysia
03-77855955 or 03-77810800
Life Line Association Malaysia
03-42657995
-Mkini
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