By Lim Lip Eng
ISSUES revolving around mental health is not something that one should laugh at or make fun of.
It was disheartening to see Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusof belittling such issues, despite her ministerial portfolio being known to handle cases leading to depression problems.
This was seen in the TV Harakah programme entitled “Kemurungan dan Bunuh Diri semasa PKP. Apa Solusi Islam?” (“Depression and Suicides during MCO. What is Islam’s solution?”)
A report by EMIR Research showed that mental health became the second most serious health issue next to heart diseases. Three out of 10 Malaysian adults tend to suffer from mental issues.
Apart from that, since the first movement control order (MCO) in March 2020, 266 suicides were reported and on average, there was one person attempting suicide every day.
To make things worse, those suffering from depression are looked down upon by others in society.
What is the Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development doing to encourage those inflicted with such issues to step forward and seek help? What steps are being taken to rid of this societal stigma revolving around depression?
Mental health issues are seen as an extremely sensitive subject, especially when it involves suicide attempts and depression. Even health professionals are cautious when talking about it.
In video clips of the TV Harakah programme, viewers were able to see the moderator using the term ‘gila’ (crazy) and ‘suicide’ willy-nilly.
As one of the panellists in the forum, Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusof failed to speak up about the moderator’s actions, but in turn, joined in to laugh about the topic of discussion.
An apology should be given by those involved in this act. It is time that we stop the stigma revolving around suicide and depression. Please avoid talking about issues that you do not have much knowledge about. – Feb 5, 2021
Lim Lip Eng is the MP for Kepong
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
