Suicide among ethnic Indians in Malaysia

Jaishree Balasubramanian
Kuala Lumpur, April 19 (PTI) Ethnic Indians were among
the prominent groups in Malaysia, who recorded the highest
percentage of unnatural deaths, including suicides, as
psychological stress pushed more than 700 Malaysians to commit
suicide between 2007 and 2009, a top minister said on Tuesday.
The highest percentage of unnatural deaths were
recorded among the ethnic Chinese followed by ethnic Indians
in 2009.
Deputy Health Minister Rosnah Abd Rashid Shirlin said
in 2007, 113 cases of suicide were recorded, in 2008, 290
cases and in 2009, 328 cases were recorded by National Suicide
Registry Malaysia.
"In 2008, the suicide rate was estimated at 1.3 per
100,000 population. These cases are medically certified (as
suicide)," Rosnah told parliament.
She said in 2009, the highest number of suicides
occurred in the Chinese community (47.5 per cent) followed by
the Indians (21.3 per cent) and the Malays (13.4 per cent).
The number of suicides among men is also high with 73
per cent or 82 of suicide cases in 2007 were men compared to
women (31 cases).
In 2008, there 219 men committed suicide compared to
71 women while in 2009, there were 244 men compared with 84
women, the Sun newspaper said.
Rosnah said suicidal behaviour may be caused by
closely related factors such as biological, genetic,
psychological, socio-economic, cultural and environmental.
"Among the other factors that cause suicides are
psychosocial stress which include losing loved ones, romantic
break-ups, unemployment, poverty, academic failure, loan
sharks (problems), mental or psychiatric disorders such as
depression, schizophrenia, substance abuse or personality
disorders," Rosnah added.
To reduce the number of suicide cases, the ministry
has taken several prevention steps such as promoting mental
health programmes; publishing pamphlets and posters about
mental health; setting up web portals with information on
mental health and prepared guidelines for media reporting on
suicides in Malaysia.
"The ministry also cooperates with organisations such
as the World Health Organisation and the International
Association for Suicide Prevention and have developed a
National Strategic and Action Plan on Suicide Prevention," she
said.
Rosnah added the ministry also provides psychiatrist
services in four mental institutions and 42 government
hospitals nationwide.