THE government today acknowledged there were cases of policemen with declining mental health, which has led to suicide. 

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said a 2014-2018 Bukit Aman study found seven reported cases of suicide among policemen. 

The force has 130,000 members.

“We admit there has been a tendency among police personnel to turn to suicide. The trend was detected as early as 2015,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today. 

“That’s why immediate action was taken (to address the issue) even though the (suicide) numbers were low.”

He was responding to Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (Dungun-PN), who asked about the measures taken to address mental health issues in the police force.

Saifuddin said the year has already seen two members of the force suffering a mental breakdown.

“We are only three months into 2023 but there have already been two high-profile cases, one a police officer who allegedly shot his wife in Perlis and the other who shot himself in Bayan Lepas, Penang.”

Saifuddin said that relationship problems, trouble adjusting to a new environment, homesickness and loneliness were among the causes of mental health issues among the police

Saifuddin said that the ministry is working on data-driven policies to monitor and improve the mental health of police personnel.

“Last year, we assessed the emotional state of nearly 26,000 police members before they were assigned to their duties. 

“Meanwhile, mental and psychological health screenings are underway from January till June.

“There are plans, initiatives and programmes, including religious lessons and counselling, to improve the police’s mental health,” he said.

Saifuddin added the mental health of personnel allowed to carry firearms would be scrutinised for signs of stress or depression. – March 30, 2023.