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Kota Kinabalu: Malaysians have a role to play in suicide prevention by replacing stigma, fear and silence with openness, empathy and timely support, said National Council of Befrienders Malaysia (NCOBM) President Datuk Jessie Ting.
In conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept 10, Ting urged the public to start conversations about suicide safely and responsibly, stressing that suicide is preventable and that hope can begin when someone is willing to listen.
The 2026 global theme, “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”, carries the call to action “Start the Conversation”, encouraging communities to use language that protects rather than harms.
Ting said emotional crises were often met with judgement, dismissive advice or silence, while people experiencing suicidal thoughts did not necessarily want to die but wanted their pain to stop.
“When people fear being judged, they stay silent. Isolation deepens, and risk rises,” she said.
She said asking someone directly and calmly whether they were thinking about suicide would not put the idea into their head, but could provide a safe space for them to speak.
Ting urged the public to take expressions of despair or thoughts of dying seriously, noting that warning signs could include feelings of helplessness or being a burden, withdrawing from friends and activities, talking or writing about death or self-harm, extreme mood swings, sudden calm after prolonged distress, and giving away cherished belongings or putting personal affairs in order.
She said people did not need to be therapists to help someone in distress, but could reach out, listen without minimising their pain and connect them with appropriate support.
Ting also called for greater responsibility when reporting or sharing suicide-related incidents, particularly online.
She said graphic images, detailed methods, exact locations, leaked notes, sensational headlines and speculation about motives could increase the risk to vulnerable people.
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“Your share is not neutral,” she said, urging editors, reporters, content creators, influencers and members of the public not to share suicide methods, locations, photos, videos, suicide notes, last messages or on-the-scene footage.
She said Malaysia already had guidelines on reporting and sharing suicide-related content, issued by the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Health and National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health.
The guidelines apply to newsrooms, social media users, influencers and platforms, with the aim of preventing imitative harm, protecting the dignity of the deceased and bereaved, and directing people towards help.
Ting said responsible communication did not mean censoring the truth, but exercising compassion and discipline.
“On World Suicide Prevention Day, starting the conversation means starting it safely,” she said.
She also highlighted the need to reach people who may not have access to conventional support, particularly seafarers who can spend months away from home.
Through the global Befrienders network, seafarers can access confidential emotional support from trained volunteers without having to give their names, regardless of where their ship is located.
Ting said life at sea could be particularly isolating due to long contracts, limited or cancelled shore leave, unreliable family connectivity and high-pressure working environments.
She said a confidential space for seafarers to talk could make the difference between carrying emotional pain alone and finding a way through it.
Ting stressed that suicide prevention was a collective responsibility involving families, workplaces, schools, healthcare systems, shipping companies, crewing agencies, port communities, newsrooms and individuals.
She said Malaysia’s decriminalisation of attempted suicide represented an important shift from punishment towards care, but the change needed to be matched by a culture of asking, listening and staying with those in distress.
“Befrienders remains committed to providing free, confidential and non-judgemental emotional support to anyone who is lonely, distressed or experiencing suicidal thoughts.”Those who need support are urged to reach out to Befrienders Malaysia or the Befrienders Worldwide seafarers service.