A Malaysian woman took a bold stand against street harassment in Kuala Lumpur by confronting two men who catcalled her during her daily commute.
The incident, shared by the netizen @atiquh on X (formerly Twitter), has since sparked widespread discussions about the persistent issue of catcalling and harassment faced by women.
Got catcalled all the time
In her post, @atiquh expressed frustration with the frequent harassment she endures, recounting how the confrontation unfolded.
She explained that catcalling has become a regular part of her life, with motorcyclists and lorry drivers often staring or shouting at her as she walks to and from work.
This time, however, the men catcalled her from the side of the road, giving her the chance to confront them directly.
The video she shared shows @atiquh confronting the two men, referring to their actions as “kampung” (village) behavior.
Heated confrontation
Man A denied involvement and shifted the blame to his friend, Man B. After a heated exchange, Man B admitted to the catcalling and apologized.
However, Man A became defensive, insulted her appearance, and called her stupid for using the word “kampung.”
While Man B tried to calm things down, @atiquh argued that if Man A hadn’t participated, he should have stopped his friend instead of enabling the behavior.
Usually just responds with middle finger
After posting her encounter on X, @atiquh commented under the video that she usually responds to catcallers with a middle finger but felt compelled to take things further that day.
“Being a woman is so damn hard. You constantly feel watched or objectified by men. And don’t come at me with ‘women should stay at home.’ It’s almost 2025—widen your mindset and see the bigger picture,” she wrote.
She also dismissed the notion that harassment is connected to appearance or clothing,
“Then they started attacking my looks, but please, it’s not about looks—it’s about our dignity as women. And if you think it’s about the way I dress, no, you’re wrong. I’ve worn outfits like this and still got catcalled.” She wrote.
@atiquh believes that catcalling persists because some men assume women won’t fight back, urging both men and women to confront such behavior head-on.
She clarified that she blurred the faces of the men in her video to emphasize that the issue goes beyond the individuals involved.
The reason why I blurred their faces bcs this isn’t just about these two men, it’s about a much larger issue that affects women everywhere. We need to address the behaviour, not just the people involved.
Watch the full video here:
This day is bound to happen and I finally got a chance to catch these mfs. This is something that happens way too often, and I’m done with people thinking it’s okay to harrass women. To men, pls enlighten me kenapa some men buat macam ni eh dekat perempuan? pic.twitter.com/5R2YkERqgd
— アティカ (@atiquh) October 17, 2024
