Main Image Via The Atlantic

A 16-year-old Sarawakian teen jumped to her death yesterday, following a poll on Instagram that read “Really Important, Help Me Choose D/L”.

Garnering a 69% vote on “D” which stands for “die”, she honored the poll. Following that, netizens took it upon themselves to circulate her picture. 

The only question we have is WHY??! 

Anyway, The Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has advised against circulating the image of the deceased.

In a statement yesterday, the MCMC urged netizens to be more sensitive of the girl’s grieving family. 

The highlight of the statement released was that the police are currently investigating if the online voting had elements of abetting the suicide and the MCMC intends to provide any technical assistance required by the police in this case!

Under Section 305 of the Penal Code, it is against the law to abet a person under 18 to commit suicide, which can lead to 20 years in prison and a fine.

If that is not reason enough to hold back on negativity online, let us at Raaga take this opportunity to stress that suicide is not a joke.
As much as it is a crime, here in Malaysia, allow us to remind you that only those who fail at the attempt, truly have a chance of trying again at life. 

Those who succeed only pass on their pain to their loved ones and friends and before we know it, depression has become the prevalent, spreading epidemic of the 21st century. 

There are some online who view these occurrences as nature’s way of eliminating the weaker members of our beautifully diverse society. We wonder if they’d find a just leader in Thanos? What if amongst those who become a victim to this were their friends and loved ones? Would they consider them weak?
 

Have a heart and treat your fellow Malaysians the way you’d expect to be treated if the tables were turned.         

The MCMC also urged netizens to report cases of cyberbullying or inappropriate content directly to them via email on aduanskmm@mcmc.gov.my or on WhatsApp at 016-220 6262. 

So instead of taking part and egging on people, who display suicidal tendencies online, let's do our part as responsible Malaysians and lodge a report. You could go the extra mile and try reaching out to the person concerned to lend your support. That way we can all contribute to a society that saves lives, not helping end them.

Those in trouble or in need of someone to talk to can call the Befrienders KL at 03-7956 8145, 04-281 5161/1108 (Penang), 05-547 7933/7955 (Ipoh) or email sam@befrienders.org.my.

Peace, love and harmony to all Malaysians. Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments and stay tuned with us at Raaga for more updates!

Info Via The Star