IN recent years, we have witnessed the increment of suicide cases globally, with up to 800,000 people reported to die by their own hand every year.

Suicide is defined as death caused by self-inflicted behaviour with an intention to die. A person who attempts suicide, on the other hand, may perform a variety of potentially harmful acts, but not to the extent of causing death.

Suicide can be an impulsive act, but in most cases, a person who commits suicide has planned it for quite some time.

They often drop directly or indirect red flags and other warning signs either to indicate their intention, only to be noticed too late by the people who care.

Suicide is undoubtedly a tragic event, yet there is a disparity in the perception of suicide from the legal and medical aspects.

By law, attempted suicide is illegal under Section 309 of the Penal Code. As people who attempt suicide do not cause harm to other people, the act is also popularly known as a victimless crime.

Any suicide survivor could be charged for the crime and subjected to imprisonment or fine or both upon conviction.

Society seems to question the rationale of such a law, of its existence and whether it is useful in reducing suicide and attempt suicide cases.

In contradiction, suicide and attempted suicide are considered significant public health issues.

Although there are complex aetiological and risk factors associated with suicide, it is commonly associated with mental disorders such as severe depression.

Other risk factors include a family history of suicide or suicide attempts, drugs and alcohol abuse, chronic health disease and even socioeconomic problems.

The current Covid-19 pandemic is a threat as the number of suicide cases has reportedly escalated during this challenging period.

During this stressful time, many people hit rock bottom; losing job and income, while others develop anxiety and stigma towards the virus itself.

Those who cannot handle the stress well often feel hopeless to the extent of taking their own life as a way out.

People who are struggling with suicidal tendencies often go through behavioural and attitude changes.

They usually turn into a different person who is unable to function normally and regress into isolation.

Likewise, they neglect their appearance because they are so occupied with planning and thinking about their suicide.

The impact of suicide itself is totally devastating especially to families, relatives, friends and even society. The news of suicide causes shock, guilt, and leads to emotional disturbance.

Worse, the stigma within the community has forced those who lost someone to suicide to keep quiet to avoid shame.

Suicide is preventable, and we need to address the root of the problem. Those who suffered from mental illness and have suicidal tendencies should seek medical help and emotional support.

We need to educate the society to recognise warning signs, which could happen to any family member, colleague, or just anybody.

On the other hand, the government needs to be more sympathetic to those facing financial difficulties in the pandemic by reducing financial pressures.

The media should be more sensitive to the culture and follow the guidelines given by the Ministry of Health when reporting any cases of suicide.

The victim’s identity must be protected. The sensationalism of cases is an irresponsible act and could lead to prejudice towards the victims. A moral approach would be educating and creating awareness among the public.

The role of the law, as a start, is to educate the society and not merely to punish people, especially in cases of depression and uncontrollable emotions.

The law should be more sympathetic and offer better solutions, not adopting the command-and-control approach.

Not all social ills can be resolved by enforcing rules and punishment, as a medium to fulfil its deterrence objectives. Covid-19 pandemic has affected people from all different walks of life, which could raise suicide rates.

Many are hopeful that the bills to abolish suicide attempt as a criminal offence will come into realisation.

Medical and legal experts acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and the detrimental consequences if the offenders are jailed.

Things will worsen if the offender is the sole breadwinner, placing the family at financial risk. It could also affect the family’s good reputation and affect divorce rates. They are to be supported not to be punished by society and the legal institutions.

The mental and religious institutions should play more significant roles simultaneously enhancing the existing system.

The public should be more open and accept that the patients face mental issues; thus, the best action is to get the necessary treatment.

The stigma that is attached to a depressed patient as ‘crazy’ by taking medication and getting therapy from mental institutions should be thrown away.

Awareness and empathy should be inculcated in the society to care and take note of other people’s well-being. The continuous unhealthy state of mind, such as depression and emotional imbalance, could happen to anybody regardless of whether they are religious or not as these are all tests from God. – January 29, 2021.

* Dr Noor Dzuhaidah Osman and Dr Natasya Abdullah are lecturers at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.