Chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the proposal, made by Universiti Malaya’s Dr Muhsin Ahmad Zahari, merits some discussion, following several reported incidents of people falling off the bridge this year.

“The Penang bridge is now a location where many such cases occur every year. We can discuss the proposal with (the bridge concessionaire),” he told reporters after a Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at Sungai Dua today.

Chow said the final decision is still left to the Penang bridge concessionare, PLUS Malaysia Bhd, as they are solely responsible for its operations and maintenance.

On April 9, FMT quoted Muhsin as saying that installing physical barriers and safety nets at the Penang bridge could help deter suicide attempts and reduce fatalities.

He said that the measure, combined with surveillance systems, such as CCTVs, could deter potential jumpers, thus giving responders time to act.

In a written reply presented at the Penang state assembly on Nov 22 last year, the state health department called for the installation of safety barriers to deter individuals from leaping into the channel.

However, the state government opted to prioritise increased awareness campaigns for the time being.

The written reply also revealed that there were 23 attempted suicides at Penang’s first and second bridges between 2020 and 2023, with the majority taking place on the first link.