Abstract
The Malaysian Mental Health Act 2001 did not come into effect until the Mental Health Regulations 2010 came into force. The Act provides a framework for the delivery of comprehensive care, treatment, control, protection and rehabilitation of those with mental disorders. The Act governs the establishment of private and government psychiatric hospitals, psychiatric nursing homes and community mental health centres. This paper outlines the provisions of the Act and the Regulations.
Highlights
More worrying perhaps is the situation in Singapore, where the law seems to separate rather too rigidly mental health and general hospital services
The Malaysian Mental Health Act 2001 did not come into effect until the Mental Health Regulations 2010 came into force
The Mental Health Act 2001 was passed by Parliament in Malaysia in August 2001 but did not come into operation until 2010, when the Mental Health Regulations 2010 came into force
Summary
Though vastly different in geographical size and significantly different in population numbers, Malaysia and Singapore, which separated amicably in 1963 (through Singapore being ‘expelled’ from Malaysia following a referendum), share some characteristics; for example, they are both multi-ethnic, carry the legacy of the British Empire and have flourished economically since liberation. The legacy of empire, investment in education and the knowledge economy and increasing economic prosperity perhaps have provided the foundations for significant attention to mental health law and related legislation in both Malaysia and Singapore. For one of the handful of richest countries in the world in terms of per capita income, this seems surprising. This country has one of the highest proportions of millionaires in the world and high degrees of social inequality.
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