KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — The government is studying possible amendments to the Penal Code that will stop its use against those already moved to suicide, Datuk Liew Vui Keong said today.

The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said the study headed by the Attorney General’s Chambers is also examining laws related to the abetment of suicide.

Liew said the study was currently at the discussion stage involving stakeholders such as ministries of Health; Women, Family and Community Development; Education; Youth and Sports; and Communications and Multimedia.

Others include the Royal Malaysia Police, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department, the Befrienders organisation, and the Psychiatric Association of Malaysia.

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“The government is also running research and comparing laws which deal with similar offences as Section 305, 306, and 309 of the Penal Code and its implementation done in the United Kingdom, Australia, Pakistan, and India, to see the approach that was taken by those countries,” he said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat this morning.

“This is a holistic process and we need to identify the issues concerning what causes them to have the issue of mental disorder (that leads to suicide).

“We have to understand those undergoing stress and mental disorder is not something that is easily identifiable,” he said. 

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Liew said the government is preparing a research paper to solicit feedback from relevant parties, which would allow them to draft a comprehensive national strategy to deal with the issue of suicide and the approach to decriminalise it.

“I feel this comprehensive national strategy is needed because we will get feedback from the health and education sector, the media, the social welfare system, from religious parties, and from those required as set by the World Health Organisation.

“I will spearhead this strategy and hopefully in the near future we hope to have a law that will not criminalise them, but provide treatment and help to them so that they do not decide to commit suicide,” he said.

Liew also highlighted the role of society in dissuading those looking to commit suicide by reaching out to them and aiding them in seeking the proper help and guidance to address the state of their mental health.

“Society needs to work together to find a route to solve this problem and has to cooperate, and not like what we see in social media where we see where there are those who encourage someone to commit suicide.

“Society has to play a big role and take responsibility to help identify when someone has an acute problem, to advise them and to not encourage them for those who want to commit suicide.

“We have to understand those undergoing stress and mental disorder is not something that is easily identifiable, so we also need help from family and society to identify those with mental disorder so they get the treatment as soon as possible,” he added.

Liew was responding to a question posed by Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen’s, who had questioned the government’s stance in addressing the increasing number of suicide cases in Malaysia.