A migrant worker had allegedly slit his throat on Sunday morning (2 Aug) at his dormitory in Sungei Kadut.
The 36-year-old was found lying covered in blood at the bottom of a staircase in the dorm.
A police spokesman said they were called in to the premise at Block 53 Sungei Kadut Loop at about 7.30am and apprehended the man under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act which provides for the admission, detention, care, and treatment of mentally disordered persons in designated psychiatric institutions.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said it was aware of the incident and that the man was attended to promptly.
“The dormitory operator and Fast Team (Forward Assurance and Support Team) on site reacted quickly and treated his injuries. He is now in a safe and stable condition,” the spokesman said.
Further inquiries by MOM revealed that he did not have unpaid salary or any prior signs that he was under duress before his attempted suicide.
Recent cases of migrant workers attempting suicide
A video went viral on 22 July as it was circulating on social media, showing a migrant worker at a dormitory in Singapore attempting suicide. It was alleged that this occurred at S11 Dormitory @ Punggol.
In the video, a commotion broke out when the migrant worker stood on top of the railing on the fourth floor of the dormitory building. Many other migrant workers whipped out their mobile phones to record the scene.
According to Vaster News, the Chinese migrant worker was forced to pay a S$2,000 return ticket to China after encountering issues with his employer.
However, it was reported that the migrant worker could not afford the flight ticket, thus he stood on the railing, being on the verge to commit suicide.
It was also reported that the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was called and they had set up rescue cushions at the scene as a form of precaution.
Fortunately, the migrant worker was successfully persuaded and he stepped off the railing safely.
Two days after that (24 July), another video showing another Chinese migrant worker attempting suicide at an undisclosed dormitory was circulated on social media.
In the video, a Chinese migrant worker can be seen standing on top of the railing outside of the dormitory corridor while other migrant workers were trying to persuade him to step down from the railing.
The man was then approached by security personnel to dissuade him from taking a step further.
When asked why he was contemplating suicide, the man noted that he was not allowed to return home despite purchasing the flight ticket using his own money. He questioned why he was unable to leave for home.
In response, the security personnel said that it is not his fault for disallowing the man to return to his homeland, as he tried to persuade the man to come down and solve the issue another way.
Meanwhile, other migrant workers at the resident block can be heard yelling “Just make a phone call!” and ”Nobody wants to come out to settle this issue!” – most likely referring to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) or the employer.
After a while, three police officers arrived at the scene and spoke to the man. One of the officers persuaded him to step down from the railing, assuring him that they will inform his employer about this issue.
“Now you wanted to go back to your home country, right? I will inform your employer and (ask) him to (send) you back,” said the police officer.
People seeking help may call these helplines:
Migrant Workers’ Centre: 6536-2692
Healthserve: 3138-4443
Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444
Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
Institute of Mental Health’s Mobile Crisis Service: 6389-2222
Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800
Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928
Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788
