ONE in 10 phone calls made to Befrienders now is related to Covid-19 and the movement-control order (MCO), said the emotional support organisation.

These calls are mostly related to managing the MCO, adapting to the sudden changes and handling family rifts arising from being holed up together, among others, Befrienders KL executive director Kenny Lim told The Malaysian Insight.

The MCO was enforced on March 18 to break the chain of Covid-19 infections, which until yesterday reached 4,817 cases with 77 deaths. Phase III of the MCO ends on April 28.

Lim is concerned that with Befrienders’ usual service suspended because of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the Petaling district, those from the older age group, who are vulnerable in times like this, will stop calling.

He is hoping that callers will use alternative methods provided by Befrienders to remain in touch.

“In the first two weeks (after MCO began on March 18), we saw an increase in the number of calls received.

“For the first seven days, an increase of 13%, and 9% of all the calls were from callers with issues related to Covid-19 or MCO,” Lim told The Malaysian Insight.

Befrienders were getting around 100 calls daily at that time.

But after the MCO was extended to April 14, their application to continue operations was denied after Petaling became a Covid-19 hot spot.

As such, Lim said, Befrienders was forced to shut down temporarily while transitioning to Skype voice call.

He said Befrienders does not have any statistics after the first week because of the shutdown.

Befrienders also suffered a huge drop in calls after moving to Skype as the public is not aware of the new method of reaching them, said Lim.

“This slowly picked up due to announcements, but it is still a far cry from the number we normally received on the phone.

“And most of those who contacted us on Skype so far were mostly in their late teens and 20s, followed by those in the 30s. A few callers in their 40s and a very low percentage were above 50.

“So, we are losing calls from the older age group who can be quite vulnerable in times like this. There may also be people who do not know how to use Skype or going online and people with no access to the internet.”

Having to download a new application on the phone and registering for an account may also deter some callers.

“Fortunately, we are now able to offer emotional support with a temporary new number with incoming calls being diverted to our volunteers. This is possible, thanks to MT Microtel Sdn Bhd, which supported us with their tech expertise.

Feeling hopeless

Lim said some of the issues shared by callers included difficulties adapting to the sudden change, the cabin fever and family conflicts arising from stress, mental health patients whose sessions were postponed with therapists due to the MCO and anxieties over when the MCO would be lifted.

“Many were concerned about life or the future after the MCO period. They expressed a sense of hopelessness and helplessness, leading to suicidal thoughts.

“When callers reach out to us, we provide a safe space for them to voice their concerns – their fear, anxiety or other uncomfortable feelings that they are experiencing.

“Most times, they do not want to open up to friends or family members because they are not empathetic or patient enough to listen. Sometimes, callers call because they prefer to talk to a stranger anonymously.”

Befrienders’ volunteers are trained to listen and talk to callers without making any judgment, he said.

“This can make the callers feel accepted and less isolated – that they are not alone. We do not give advice or tell our callers what to do.

“By verbalising what they are going through, it helps create awareness in themselves, giving them a clearer picture of their own feelings and what they are going through. With this, they will be in a better position to come up with their own solution,” said Lim.

Those seeking help or someone to talk to can log on to https://www.befrienders.org.my.

Aware of the situation, the National Security Council launched its own call centre on Monday. – April 14, 2020.