The Penang government has stressed that installing barriers on bridges is not the primary solution to addressing suicide attempts in the state.
State Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi said efforts should focus instead on mental health awareness and community support. He noted that suicide attempts at locations such as the Penang Bridge and the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge are not new, and the management of these structures does not fall under the state government’s jurisdiction.
“Even if we install barriers, those who are determined may still carry out the act. If we put barriers on bridges, then every tall building would also need barriers,” he said on the sidelines of the state legislative assembly meeting today.
Gooi said ongoing public health campaigns and mental health awareness programmes are more effective in reducing such incidents than physical measures alone.
He also urged the media to follow proper reporting guidelines when covering suicide cases, warning that insensitive reporting can trigger subsequent cases.
“After the first report, the second and third often follow. Incorrect reporting can affect other individuals who are at risk,” he said.
During the assembly sitting yesterday, Air Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng Soon Siang revealed that one in 10 youths in Penang had contemplated, planned, or attempted suicide, citing recent state health statistics. The data showed that 12 per cent of youths had suicidal thoughts, 9.5 per cent had made plans, and 9.3 per cent had attempted suicide.
Gooi had earlier attended the launch of the Penang Information and Complaints System – State Environmental Health Action Plan (ePINTAS–SEHAP) by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. The system aims to curb dengue cases through an integrated online monitoring platform that provides real-time data at the state, district, and local authority levels.
