The bill was passed in a voice vote after eight MPs each from the government bloc and opposition debated the amendments, according to Berita Harian.

The bill involves abolishing Section 309 of the Penal Code, which currently provides a jail term of up to a year or a fine, or both, for someone convicted of attempted suicide.

When tabling the bill earlier, deputy law and institutional reform minister Ramkarpal Singh said decriminalising suicide meant a shift towards preventing suicide, by encouraging those who were struggling to seek help.

He added that Section 309 of the Penal Code was an archaic provision from the 19th century due to the assumption then that this was the best way to curb suicides.

“Now, based on the approaches taken by other countries, we can see that medical treatment, not criminal charges, is the best way to handle the issue,” he said.

However, abetting in a suicide or attempted suicide would remain a criminal offence.

The Dewan Rakyat also passed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code in line with the Penal Code amendments.