They said current laws that criminalise suicide are keeping struggling youth from seeking the help they need.

In a statement, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) and Relate Mental Health Malaysia urged the government to implement practical policy changes to reverse the worrying rise in youth suicide.

Citing a joint report “Youth Suicide in Malaysia”, they urged the government to consider decriminalising suicide given the high emotional and economic cost of the act.

“Evidence shows that criminalising suicide reduces help-seeking behaviour and hinders the collection of accurate data,” they said.

“This restricts the development and implementation of effective suicide prevention strategies.”

They said a holistic social and public health approach was crucial. They recommended that the government build on existing guidelines for suicide prevention.

The education and human resources ministries need to collaborate with interested groups in this endeavour.

They said the effectiveness of school counselling and current suicide prevention programmes need to be reviewed.

They urged the government to resume the National Suicide Registry and include crucial details such as age, gender, race, state and method of suicide.

Relate Mental Health Malaysia founder Dr Chua Sook Ning said raising awareness was no longer enough if Malaysia hoped to break the chain.

IDEAS chief executive Tricia Yeoh said policymakers must recognise the urgency of youth suicide and consider their recommendations, especially the need to decriminalise suicide.