Name: Arif Raziq Abd Rani

Dateline: November 5 2021

Source: The Star, November 4 2021
(https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/11/04/cops-catch-man-who-ran-amok-in-
kota-kinabalu-airport-surau)

Saint the Insanity

Abstract:
From the news on the The Star titled “Cops catch man who ran amok in Kota Kinabalu
airport surau” reported that a man who was undergoing psychiatric treatment threatened
people with a knife at a surau in the Kota Kinabalu International Airport. It's been reported
that a man to have gone to the prayer room and started pointing and swinging his knife at
passers-by. When the police arrived, they attempted to talk to and calm the man and get him
to release his weapon. A police officer told reporters that they had to act fast in order to stop
the man from endangering the crowd with his dangerous behaviour. However, in the process
of stopping him, one of our police officers was injured. When the suspect ran toward a
policeman, he was caught by police. The policeman who tried to stop him from hurting
anyone received outpatient treatment at a nearby clinic. The suspect was found to be
carrying an OKU card and an appointment card for the Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang, which
treats patients with mental illness.

Introduction:
Mental illness refers to a broad range of diagnostic categories in which individuals
experience a variety of impairments that cause them to suffer from clinically significant
distress and/or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.
The most common forms of mental disorders are anxiety disorders, mood disorders, eating
disorders and substance abuse. In Malaysia, approximately one in four adults has a mental
disorder at any given time. Malaysia is transitioning from a middle-income country to a high-
income country which this transition presents a significant challenge as the prevalence of
mental disorders, as well as depression and anxiety in particular, has been increasing
rapidly.

Overall & critics:

Ending the Stigma
Mental illness in Malaysia is something that is quite a problem which is not something that is
curable, but it is something that can be dealt with. It is a disease which affects the way you
think, feel, and behave. It also can be caused by many things, such as genetics, trauma,
brain chemistry, and brain structure. Mental illness in Malaysia is something that is
widespread throughout the Malaysian community, affecting people of all ages, races, and
genders, and is one of the primary causes of disability and suicides in Malaysia. Malaysian
society has traditionally stigmatized the mentally ill, and this stigma is still strong. But since
Malaysia is multiracial and multicultural, there are different attitudes towards mental illness.
Today, it is easier for people to get help. But mental illness remains a serious problem. The
stigma is the perception that mental illnesses are somehow inherently bad, that people who
get them are weak, or that they can't control their illness, associated with unbelief, not
praying, punishment, possessing by jinn and many more. The discrimination is that people
with mental illnesses are treated differently from everyone else. These two things interfere
very strongly with each other. If society is prejudiced against people with mental illnesses,
they will naturally feel ashamed and inferior, and that will make it harder for them to seek
treatment. The stigma and discrimination are so powerful that it is often easier to treat
people's prejudices than to treat their illness. That leads to a vicious cycle. If society does
not treat mental illness as a medical problem, people with mental illness will not seek
treatment. If they do not seek treatment, society will not treat them as fully human. They will
be treated instead as objects of pity, as a problem to be solved, as an inconvenience to be
tolerated. That in turn will lead to more prejudice and discrimination, which will make it
harder for more people to seek treatment, and so on.

Solutions
There is no easy solution to these problems. But the first step is to recognize the problem.
Then, when high-profile figures like Sharifah Sakinah, Daiyan Trisha, Lady Gaga (thru A Star
Is Born), and many more start talking about their own mental illnesses, people start to pay
attention. And then, when people see that mental illness is not inherently bad, but something
that can be treated, and that people with the illness are not weak, but people like you and
me who sometimes have bad things happen to them, the stigma and discrimination will
weaken, and treatment will become easier. Then people with mental illnesses will be seen
as equals

Conclusion
In conclusion, the issue of mental illness is not a trivial issue that should be left out. All
parties must play an important role in supporting and encouraging the sufferers to overcome
this issue. The support of close people such as family members, friends, and the community
can help those who are suffering to be stronger and happier. Stopping the stigma is the first
step that should be taken.