GOMBAK: While many experts and media locally and internationally blamed social media for the shocking suicide of the Sarawakian teenager girl earlier this week, Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman argues that such incidence usually occurs due to “mental distress”.
Thus, he urges families and close friends of those who are facing mental distress to be the first to give good support and help. They should not neglect their loved ones, but instead give an ear to them and listen to their concerns.
“Friends and family should always lend an ear at the minimum to listen to their problems and concerns and never shut them away,” Syed Saddiq was quoted as saying by Malay mail at the “Are You Okay?” mental health awareness talks at the International Islamic University of Malaysia here yesterday.
Syed Saddiq pointed out, while there are so many councilors at schools, medical experts, and NGOs who are there to help those suffering mental distress, only few people know about them, people usually seek support from their families and friends first.
“We have Councillors in schools, we have medical practitioners who are offering their help, we have NGOs like Befrienders who are giving the best of assistance, so there are many networks but not everyone is exposed to these networks, not everyone knows about it,” he said.
Syed Saddiq was commenting on the suicide of the 16-year-old girl who was believed to have jumped to her death from the third floor of a building in Kuching few minutes after she asked her friends on Instagram whether to kill herself or not.
Also present at the talk were Dr Nurashikin Ibrahim, Head of the Ministry of Health, mental health section and Dr Hazli Zakari, President of the Malaysian Psychiatrist Association.
