GEORGE TOWN: Penang will propose to the operator of the first Penang Bridge to install loudspeakers besides CCTVs, as it can act as deterrent to suicidal persons.
In view that the first bridge has become a major spot for suicides in the northern region, state Welfare and Caring Society Committee Chairman Phee Boon Poh, said that the safety and security surveillance of the bridge can be better improved.
For example, the traffic flow along the bridge is monitored via a CCTV system with cameras dotting major stretches of the 13.5km span of the bridge.
Phee said that it was proven in other countries that a suicidal person may think twice if there is someone talking to him or her while their contemplate their next move.
“Usually, the suicidal individuals would loiter around their vehicle. They won’t alight from their vehicles and immediately jump. If the security personnel on the CCTV control room can see it, they should use the loud speaker frequency to speak and to calm the person before the rescue team can swoop in.”
Road users must also be alert to notice stationary vehicles and motorcycles.
They can alert the bridge call centre which operates round the clock.
The present arrangements at the bridge is mostly attuned to clear traffic congestion and accidents, but it should also be upgraded to prevent suicides in view that there are more cases of people jumping off the bridge, said Phee.
“With the loudspeaker, authorities can speak to the (suicidal) victims on the bridge and hold them back, which means buying more time for the rescue units to reach.”
Earlier, Phee opened a suicide prevention public forum organised by Befrienders Penang in Komtar, with the theme ‘Lost All Hope, Suicide Ideation and Stigma – Working Together to Prevent Suicide’.
Phee said that the state was also seeking to install a coastal base for a rescue unit at Pulau Jerejak so those who jumped off the bridge can be reached faster.
The nearest facility is now the marine police base in Batu Uban, whereas if there is a facility at Jerejak, the area beneath the bridge can be reached in 15 minutes unlike now, where the response time may be 30 minutes.
Phee also said that families need to give each other the space and time to cope with the stresses of modern living amid the high expectations placed on teenagers.
“Nowadays, a family of five may feel crammed if they are living in a home of less than 600sq ft. We need to allow for more open spaces and recreational grounds so they can destress and even find time to do healthy things such as exercising.”
He called for more community activities to be organised in low to middle-income neighbourhoods, especially those living in high rise buildings.
The organising chairwoman Saras Pillay said that more youths are becoming suicidal now compared to the last decade so more attention must be given to them.
