JULY 11 — There is plenty of blame to go around at the moment. Political uncertainties, economic crisis, incompetencies, lack of unified action and coordination from top brass to bottom, etc and etc.
All these tend to be highly politicised and propagandised. Which to be fair, criticisms and reprovals are normal in any democratic country. These subjects are grey and debatable. While I think these issues especially economic crises are faced by all nations globally, but in the Malaysian context, if it is for the sake of check and balance, by all means, go ahead and brawl all you want.
However, there are other subjects that should not, and should never be politicised; suicide cases, depression, and mental health.
Amid the isolation and psychological distress brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, Singapore reported 452 suicides last year, the nation’s highest count since 2012. More people in Bangladesh died from suicide in the last year than those who were killed by the coronavirus. Japan, which used to have the highest suicide rate in the developed world, is re-facing the same problem again, and Malaysia recorded 468 suicide cases from January to May this year alone.
These are solid facts and global reality. Thus to take people’s depression, mental health, and suicidal cases for the sake of one’s political mileage, for me is insensitive. Zero common sense.
Depression, mental health, and suicidal are real. These subjects are in fact much more important than others that have been going around during this pandemic.
There was a small town in Austria back in the 1930s which was called Marienthal, just south of Vienna. Marienthal formed in the early 19th century which later grew into a thriving textile factory. But all that changed suddenly when the town’s sole employer went bankrupt. The factory was shuttered and almost all of Marienthal’s families lost their earnings.
We might imagine that widespread unemployment would lead to extreme financial hardship. But probably that’s not what really happened. Something odd started happening to the way people in the small town spent their time. It was in the resulting idleness, where the nightmare started.
People of Marienthal lost the material and moral incentives to make use of their time. For hours on end, the men stand around on the street, leaning against the wall of a house or the parapet of a bridge. Without work, the spirit of living seeped away. Fewer borrowed from the library, theatre club went dark along with the football and wrestling clubs. They reported feeling more tired even with more sleep.
Yes, the depression was economic but it was also spiritual. The town became a microcosm of idleness and economic depression.
Just Imagine, that can happen to humans only under an economic downturn but with clubs and outdoor activities and they were not restricted to move around. Imagine, how “crazy” people can be right now with isolation and lockdown?
So, yes, please. Never use people’s mental illness, depression, and suicidal for your own mileage.
And, never ever, ever again, bring your photographers to take your pictures giving them your “help”. Because these people are real. They are not similar to your fake gestures.
You can do that some other time. Just have to use your common sense this time.
N.H Ali is a postgraduate student at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
* This is the personal opinion of the writers or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
