Speaking to FMT, he said he agreed with Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation vice-president Lee Lam Thye that those attempting to end their lives were not criminals but people suffering from mental illnesses such as depression.
He welcomed Lee’s call for the repeal of Section 309 of the Penal Code, calling it an “archaic law that punishes the victim and fails to address the root causes of depression and other mental ailments”.
He said he didn’t foresee much opposition from MPs or senators if the government were to table a bill to abolish Section 309. “Suicide affects everyone, irrespective of political leaning,” he said.
He called for the introduction of a “holistic mental health law” and an adequate budget for “medical and emotional support” in the treatment and rehabilitation of patients.
He said he envisioned a law that would provide for an overseeing board and regulated treatment as well address, among other things, ways of identifying potential victims.
The health ministry has estimated that the suicide rate in Malaysia could be as high as 13 people per 100,000 individuals and that 10 Malaysians die by suicide every day.
According to recent data, the rate of suicide attempts is at least 15 times higher than the number of suicides. About 80% of suicides are associated with poor mental health and psychological distress.
Those who attempt suicide can be punished with a jail sentence of up to one year or a fine or both.
According to Wong, his parliamentary constituency sees a good number of suicide attempts every year.
Referring to his call for a budget for treatment and rehabilitation, he said the amount would have to be determined after the gathering of data on those requiring medication and other forms of help.
“Then we need to apportion the tasks to hospitals, human resource departments in the public and private sectors, schools and the like,” he said. “We may also fund suicide-watch NGOs directly.”
The Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy said criminalising suicide had yet to prove to be a “solid, effective deterrent to suicidal behaviours”.
A research officer for the NGO, Jade See, said in a media statement that charging a person with attempted suicide could worsen his condition.
Furthermore, she added, the existence of such a law discouraged people with suicidal tendencies from seeking help for fear of prosecution.
She proposed making “quality mental services” available to those with such tendencies.
“Suicidal behaviours are often the result of a host of factors, such as preceding psychological distress or psychiatric illnesses, socio-economic causes such as poverty and discrimination, setbacks in finances, strains in social relationships or other reasons that may not be within the control of a person,” she said.
“To effectively address the issue of suicide, a person-centric, respectful and humane approach is required, and criminalising attempted suicide is anything but that.”
Clinical psychologist Chua Sook Ning pointed to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report that says suicide rates tend to decrease with decriminalisation.
She noted that WHO recommends prevention strategies and other alternatives to criminalisation.
She urged Malaysian authorities to heed the recommendations.
“Rather than ostracising and punishing people in psychological distress, we need to have compassionate policies that facilitate help-seeking and promote mental health,” she said.