Since 2020, Penang has recorded 233 suicide cases.
From 2020 to May 2022, there were 233 suicide instances in Penang, according to police statistics.
The breakdown, according to state police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, is 78 cases in 2020, 114 last year, and 41 as of May this year, placing the average number of cases per year at 77. According to records, there were a total of 20 cases at the Penang Bridge as of May, with seven of them being for this year.
Following the recent spate of cases that have received public attention, he added that a special action team has been formed, which would see traffic officers patrol Penang’s two bridges and be on the lookout for prospective suicides as a preventive precaution.
All suicide cases fall under the authority of the police, and we investigate all of them as part of the sudden death report (SDR). He stated that the police are collaborating with a number of groups, including non-governmental organisations, in order to find a solution to the alarming rise in suicides.
Suicide is a sensitive subject, especially for their family members, thus we find it difficult to discuss the reasons for suicides, whether they are personal, family, or financial. A focus on the number of suicide cases reported at the Penang Bridge may encourage others to try suicide by jumping off the bridge. He commended the Wilayah 1 squad of marine police, the Fire and Rescue Department, and local fisherman for their assistance in looking for jumpers in the waters off Penang.
The marine police’s main role, according to Shuhaily, is to protect coastal safety from Selangor to Perlis, but they’ve also been called in to assist with search-and-rescue operations in suicide instances.
Over the course of three years, the marine police Wilayah 1 unit has successfully rescued at least ten jumped victims. Between January and May of this year, the crew confiscated RM1.3 million worth of illicit goods.
*Carers provides free and confidential help 24 hours a day if you are lonely, distressed, or having negative thoughts. In Penang, call 03-79568145 or 04-281 5161/1108, in Ipoh, call 05-547 7933/7955, or in Sabah, call 088 255 788, or contact [email protected]. For young individuals, there are also free hotlines. Talian Kasih can be reached at 15999 (24/7) and Talian BuddyBear can be reached at 1800-18-2327 (BEAR) (daily 12pm-12am).
