Nancy said the 17-year old “remains preoccupied with thoughts of his younger brother”, the Borneo Post reported.

The suspect’s 13-year old sibling was found alive but injured on the same day the boy was arrested.

“This reflects the heavy mental burden he is carrying,” she was quoted as saying.

On June 12, police said they arrested the suspect at his home in Bukit Rambai, Melaka.

The suspect’s 51-year-old mother, who was a school teacher, and 21-year-old brother were found in the living room with multiple stab wounds.

An early investigation suggested that the suspect was likely emotionally distressed due to pressure to excel academically.

Nancy said the incident should serve as a lesson that mental health support and treatment must be strengthened.

She said there was a need for a comprehensive and sustained approach to addressing mental health issues, particularly among teenagers, through multi-agency cooperation and community-based strategies.

She also highlighted the importance of expanding intervention programmes such as the One-Stop Social Support Centre and mobile services using community counter buses to reach those in need of psychosocial support.

“We bring the mobile counter buses into communities to identify those who may not even realise they are facing mental health issues,” she said.

“Some only become aware that they need help after going through interactive sessions like drawing activities or brief counselling.”