Man with huge debts tries to kill himself

By DHIVASAKTI YOGANDRAN
dhiva@newsdeskdaily.com.my

GEORGE TOWN: A man who could not settle his huge debts after betting on football matches tried to take his own life by jumping off the Penang Bridge.

Fortunately, the 36-year-old man was fished out from the sea by marine police within five minutes after his plunge yesterday.

The man from Bukit Mertajam was said to be suffering from depression as he could not settle his debts which had reached RM30,000 after nine years of gambling.

It is learnt that members of the public who saw the man standing at the edge of the bridge called the police at 6.15pm.

A patrol craft was deployed to the location within seconds after the distress call was received.

The attempted suicide victim's motorcycle was found at the middle-span of the bridge.

George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng said the man was sent to the Penang Hospital for treatment and his condition was stable.

He said the case was being investigated as attempted suicide under Section 309 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to one year or a fine or both.