THE Attorney-General’s Chambers will be directed to review Section 309 of the Penal Code towards decriminalising attempted suicide, said Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The deputy prime minister said the matter was decided at the Mental Well-being Meeting that she chaired today.

Another decision reached at the meeting was for calls to Talian Kasih at 15999 and the Befrienders line to be free of charge, she said.

Dr Wan Azizah, in a statement, said it was also agreed that the Family Declaration campaign will be launched in conjunction with Malaysia Day.

The meeting involved, among others, the Health, Communications and Multimedia, Education, Youth and Sports, Women, Family and Community Development, and Home Ministries, and police.

It also agreed for October to be declared “mental well-being awareness month”, as well as for the national-level Let’s Talk, Malaysia campaign to be organised, as part of the government’s efforts to destigmatise mental illness.

Dr Wan Azizah, who also holds the women, family and community development portfolio, said the incident last month in which a 16-year-old girl committed suicide after 69% of respondents to her “life or death” Instagram poll voted “death” showed the urgent need to increase awareness on mental health issues.

“The incident showed the negative influence and effect that social media has on the younger generation.”

She said the Health Ministry’s 2015 National Health and Morbidity Survey found that the prevalence of mental health problems among those aged 16 and above had increased threefold from the 10.7% recorded in 1996.

“In 2017, a similar survey, focusing on students aged from 13 to 17, found the prevalence of suicide ideation to be at 10% compared with 7.9% in 2012. This is worrying, and a holistic approach is required to address the situation.”

She said depression is the main mental illness afflicting Malaysians, adding that mental health issues could cost the country RM105.47 billion economically by 2030. – Bernama, June 13, 2019.