A 16-year-old Malaysian girl had attempted to jump off a flyover at the KL-Karak Highway near Bukit Tinggi before being rescued by a policeman on Tuesday (16 Mar).
In a video posted on Info Roadblock Facebook page, Bukit Tinggi police station chief Sergeant Major Maznan Omar can be seen slowly approaching the girl from her back before making a run towards her and grabbing her to pull her down and away from the edge.
Several other people, believed to be plainclothes policemen, then quickly headed over to where Maznan was firmly holding the girl and helped her to get on her feet.
According to the New Straits Times, the incident occurred at 2.12pm when several motorists had spotted the girl standing at the edge of the flyover and quickly alerted police.
“A police team led by Maznan went to the scene and tried to calm her down and asked her to step down from the edge of the flyover,” said district police chief Superintendent Zaiham Mohd Kahar in a statement yesterday.
The Fire and Rescue Department arrived minutes later and spread a salvage sheet below the flyover in an attempt to catch her in case she jumped, he added.
Zaiham said investigations found that the girl was scolded by her father for spending too much time playing games on the phone and had taken away the device.
This incident was believed to be what pushing her to take such drastic action, as she was in the middle of getting treatment for depression. She was taken to the hospital for further treatment.
Netizens on Facebook slammed those who branded the girl as spoiled and reacting ridiculously just because her phone got confiscated, saying that the issue of mental health should be the main focus.
They said that the girl should never be blamed for her actions, citing that mental health problems are real and should be taken seriously.
