‘Genuinely worried’: Malaysian youth minister calls for national conversation about mental health after girl ends life over Instagram poll result

A Malaysian girl who posted an Instagram poll asking if she should live or die took her life after a majority of respondents said yes, sparking calls for an investigation.

The unidentified 16-year-old from Kuching, in the east Malaysian state of Sarawak, died after posting the poll on Monday on the photo-sharing app.

“Really Important, Help Me Choose D/L,” she wrote, according to local media reports, with the letters “D” and “L” apparently referring to “die” or “live”.

Sixty-nine per cent of votes cast were in favour of her ending her life, with just 31 per cent against, local media reported.

Police have classified the case as “sudden death”.

Malaysia’s youth and sports minister, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, said the tragedy highlighted the need for national-level discussions about mental health in the country.

“I am genuinely worried about the state of our youth’s mental health,” he said. “It’s a national issue which must be taken seriously. A national discussion must take place.”

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Ramkarpal Singh, a lawyer and MP in the north-western state of Penang, called for a probe into the circumstances of her death.

“I urge the authorities ... to investigate the social media accounts of the victim and the circumstances that led to her death to prevent further abuse of social media in similar circumstances in the future,” he said. “It is important that incidents such as this do not repeat themselves.”

The MP suggested those who voted for her to die could be guilty of abetting suicide.

“Would the girl still be alive today if the majority of netizens on her Instagram account discouraged her from taking her own life? Would she have heeded the advice of netizens to seek professional help had they done so?

“Did the encouragement of those netizens actually influence her decision to take her own life? Since attempted suicide is an offence in this country, it follows that abetting one to attempt suicide may be, too,” he said.

Under Malaysian law, anyone convicted of abetting the suicide of a minor could face the death penalty or up to 20 years’ jail.

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Ching Yee Wong, head of communications for Instagram APAC, said in a statement: “Our thoughts and prayers are with this young woman’s family.

“We have a deep responsibility to make sure people using Instagram feel safe and supported. As part of our own efforts, we urge everyone to use our reporting tools and to contact emergency services if they see any behaviour that puts people’s safety at risk.”

In 2017, British teenager Molly Russell ended her life after going online to read about suicide, sparking a debate about regulating children’s social media use.

Instagram announced a clampdown on images of self-harm following the tragedy.

If you, or someone you know, are having suicidal thoughts, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans, or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 800 273 8255. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page.

Additional reporting by The Guardian, Reuters