Sarawak Teenager Committed Suicide After Getting A 69% Vote To Do It On An Instagram Poll
"Really Important, Help Me Choose D or L."
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 15 May 2019, 11:45 AM
A 16-year-old girl in Kuching, Sarawak has died after jumping off the third floor of a shoplot in Bandar Baru Batu Kawa on 13 May
Her body was found at 8pm by a passerby.
The girl's brother and mother also saw her body while on their way home from dinner.
According to Padawan district police chief Supt Aidil Bolhassan, the girl's decision to end her life came after receiving results of an alarming Instagram poll, Astro Awani reported.
"Really Important, Help Me Choose D or L," the teenager wrote in an Instagram poll at 3pm
D reportedly stood for 'die', while L stood for 'life'.
"About 69% of her Instagram followers supported her decision to end her life via the poll," Aidil said
The police discovered that the victim had written a WeChat message to her friends in Chinese before committing suicide.
Police believe that another factor that may have lead to the suicide was her disappointment from rarely seeing her stepfather
The 16-year-old's body was brought to the Forensic Department of Sarawak's General Hospital.
No criminal elements were uncovered at the scene of the incident and the case was classified as a sudden death, New Straits Times reported.
Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh has urged authorities to investigate the victim's social media accounts, on the basis that those who voted for her to die may be found responsible
"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?" he said.
"Since attempted suicide is an offence in this country, it follows that abetting one to attempt suicide may be, too," the DAP lawyer added.
Ramkarpal cited a US case from 2017, where a woman was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for encouraging her boyfriend to commit suicide.
Suicide is never the option.
If you or anyone you know may be at risk of suicide, please call these Malaysian hotlines:
1. ALL WOMEN'S ACTION SOCIETY (AWAM) - TELENITA
Address: 85, Jalan 21/1, Sea Park, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Contact: +603-7877 0224 | Website
2. BEFRIENDERS
Address: 95 Jalan Templer, 46000, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Contact: +603-7956 8144 | +603-7956 8145 | [email protected] | Website
3. DBKL TELECOUNSELLING
Address: Tingkat 1, Menara DBKL, Jalan Raja Laut 50350 Kuala Lumpur.
Contact: 1800-88-2600 | 03-26179905
4. TALIAN NUR
Contact: 15999 | [email protected]
5. WOMEN'S AID ORGANISATION (WAO)
Contact: +03-7956 3488 |[email protected] | Website