Its publicity director, Jessie T. Yong, said apart from that they also provide another phone line 03-79568144, which is open 24 hours, a Facebook account at Befrienderskk where they can send private message and email at befrienderskk@gmail.com.
"Befrienders are trained to help you. Befrienders Kota Kinabalu volunteers can converse in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese and Kadazan … your call is strictly confidential and not recorded, and you may remain anonymous throughout the conversations and choose to end the call whenever you want," she said in a statement.
This came in the wake of a few suicide cases, as well as failed ones, reported here.
"There are many reasons why people take their own lives. It is often as a result of deep emotional pain or problems building up to the point where the person can see no other way to cope with what they're experiencing. Leaving life appears to be the only answer or option," said Yong.
"The inability to cope with crises and unbearable emotional pain can and does drive people towards suicide. Suicidal persons are often overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness, hopelessness, isolation and despair. A suicide attempt should be seen as a cry for help," she added.
She said those attempting suicide are not always determined on ending their lives, adding they are confronted by ambivalent feelings of wanting to end it all, but at the same time yearning to find a way to carry on with life.
"Suicide is a triple tragedy in that it means loss of a life, heartbreak for relatives and friends, and the fact that at the moment death occurs there is the wish, too late, to reverse the decision and to live."
"Most of the time, the individual will have thought their actions through and planned their death. In many cases, they will hint or even announce their intentions to friends. Until a few years ago, this was typically through brief spoken comments or written notes, but now we see a tendency to use the digital and social media.
"It is difficult for individuals to open up to friends and family as, according to research, they do not want to pass on the burden of their emotions to people they love.
"We can only imagine the pain that these people were going through and perhaps how alone and isolated they must have felt, to have taken the drastic action…our thoughts should also go to the family members that have to deal with this sudden loss," she added.
According to her, research has shown that friends and families may go through feelings of anger, as to why didn't he or she talk to me, doubt, could I have done more, and maybe even fall into depression themselves.
"Friends and family that encounter a situation like this, should encourage the individual to seek professional help such as the Befrienders. Our wish is for more people to know that suicide is preventable. And one of the simplest ways is by talking to someone else, sharing the pain."
"This is the reason why we volunteer with Befrienders and why there is a Befrienders in Kota Kinabalu ... to be there, to listen," said Yong.
When life seems hopeless there is someone on the line who is there to listen and be with you so that there is hope even when everything is hopeless.
"We need to connect to individuals who are vulnerable to depressed mood or isolation and we want to encourage society to be more open to ask 'Kau OK?' to them.
"Being connected is crucial to individuals who may be vulnerable to suicide. Studies have shown that social isolation can increase the risk of suicide and, conversely, that having strong human bonds can be protective against it. Reaching out to those who have become disconnected from others and ask them 'Kau OK?' may just save a life," she said.
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