National discussion must take place to address mental health 

BANGI, May 15 (Bernama) -- Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said a national discussion has to take place to address mental health problem especially among youths in this country.

He said, in Malaysia, there has been a lack of discussion over the matter with a lot of Malaysians especially the youth thinking mental health is just a pitiful issue.

They see mental health issue as a non-genuine problem, but in reality it kills people slowly, he said.

“This issue is not just affecting Malaysia but across the world with more young people affected by serious mental health issues,” he told reporters after the National Youth Day celebration here, today.

He was commenting on the case where a teenager was believed to have committed suicide after falling from the third floor of a shop lot building in Padawan, Sarawak, yesterday.

The 16-year-old girl allegedly had uploaded her status “Really important, Help me to choose D(Death) or L (Life)” on “Instagram Story” with 69 followers choosing D.

Syed Saddiq said for a start, he would hold discussions on mental health with relevant experts at the universities.

“Because I do visit universities quite regularly, so on this Friday when I visit International Islamic University Malayisa, I will be a hosting dialogue and inviting some experts to be with me and will hear what we can do to address this issue,” he added.

-- BERNAMA