KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysians are still reeling from a spate of bizzare murders and the year 2010 will probably stand out for macabre killings committed by both the sane and insane perpetrators.
While the nation's attention is now fixated on the murder of prominent cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others that appears to be premeditated, in retrospect 2010 also witnessed a number of grisly murders committed on the reason of insanity.
In the first slayings that shocked the nation, on Jan 5 a mentally unsound man killed his sister, father, grandfather and grandmother at the family home in Kampung Batang Rokan, Gemencheh.
The victims were decapitated, stabbed or their limbs severed in the vicious attack using a machete.
In August, in Teluk Intan, an ex-security guard with a history of mental illness slashed his wife to death with a machete and seriously injured his daughter in a rampage.
While the most recent slaying involved one victim only, it was no less gruesome. A three year old boy was decapitated by his own mentally ill father at their home.
The three are probably among the most notable ghastly murders committed by those suffering from psychiatric disorders so far this year and they are not isolated cases. Over the years Malaysians have witnessed numerous tragedies involving insane perpetrators.
Nonetheless, with 300,000 Malaysians or 1 percent of the population estimated to be suffering from a psychiatric disorder known as schizophrenia, with a big number having no treatment, they are a time bomb for the society.
CRIME OF THE SOCIETY
Those suffering from schizophrenia may commit crimes under the aggressive commands of hallucinations but their plight has been overlooked by the society. Is it possible for the sane segment of the society do something to help the insane?
Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Abdul Kadir Abu Bakar who is also the President of the Malaysian Psychiatric Association (MPA) notes that the awareness on mental ailments like schizophrenia that are treatable is still lacking.
Moreover, the rights of those suffering from mental ailments like schizophrenia to seek treatment and the opportunity to remain with the society have been constantly violated.
Often they are stigmatised by their own families and the society. Employers shy away from employing them or offer them a lower salary. Thus they are pushed to a corner and neglected.
Dr Abdul Kadir points out there are many effective psychotic drugs available to treat schizophrenics and the rate of relapse is about 1 percent only. But it is a long term treatment that calls for commitment from family members to ensure follow-up treatment is adhered to.
Treatment under incarceration in mental institutions is certainly not a viable option. Community based psychosocial intervention is the best remedy as this will ensure those with psychiatric disorders have the backing of the community and family in continuing with their treatment.
But in Malaysia, this is not the case. Almost 80 percent of the patients do not seek follow up treatment often due to the lack of support from the family itself or other constraints.
This is a worrisome scenario especially when the threat risk posed by a schizophrenic who is not undergoing treatment is four times greater than the one undergoing treatment. Interestingly, Dr Abdul Kadir points out that drug addicts are 20 times more dangerous that schizophrenics.
"Therefore it is the society's crime if they fail to ensure those with mental ailments keep up with their treatment," says Dr Abdul Kadir.
Thus when the schizophrenics are left untreated, the society is not free from the blame for crimes committed by the insane.
EASY ACCESS TO TREATMENT
However, Dr Abdul Kadir admits that while mental healthcare has been integrated into the primary care services since 1996 there are still some limitations to the treatment delivery outside main health facilities.
Among the main contention is that 85 percent of the funds and resources for mental healthcare are locked in four of the nation's mental institutions - Hospital Bahagia in Tanjung Rambutan, Ipoh, Hospital Permai in Tampoi, Johor Baharu, Hospital Sentosa in Kuching and Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang in Kota Kinabalu.
Thus people in faraway places or the outskirts are deprived of mental healthcare.
Meanwhile, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye who is the member of the Mental Health Promotion Advisory Council notes that as the number of people with mental ailments are on the rise, the society has to stop stigmatising people suffering from mental illness.
The third National Health and Morbidity Survey 2006 pointed out that mental health problems in children and teenagers had increased from 13 percent in 1996 to 20.3 percent in 2006 and in adults from 10.6 percent to 11.2 percent during the same period.
"Slayings, attacks, amok and suicide involving the mentally ill have been recurring and serves as a reminder that these people have been neglected by the society."
Lee who received the 2010 Pinel Award from MPA recently for his role in creating awareness on mental health calls for action to end stigmatising and to bring greater awareness on the fact that psychiatric disorders can be treated.
Most importantly, the public must realise that not all schizophrenics are criminals and they are just one of us in the family or society. Their well-being is the society's and family's well-being.
-- BERNAMA
