TRIGGER WARNING
The content below contains sexual harassment experiences that may be harmful or traumatizing for some.
Following the #MeToo movement and the sexual harassment incident at Maluri LRT Station lately, a Malaysian woman, who preferred to be known as Lee, posted on her RED (小红书) about her experience of being molested at Glenmarie LRT Station back in 2017.
The incident occurred during regular working hours, as the victim was commuting via the escalator.
Suddenly, a random stranger inappropriately touched her buttock from behind, leaving her in shock and terror.
Lee screamed in fright and tears, demanding an explanation for his actions, but he simply dismissed her, denying any wrongdoing.
Helpless
What made the situation, even more, disheartening was that, despite being surrounded by numerous onlookers, nobody intervened or offered help.
Lee felt utterly helpless and vulnerable at that moment. Eventually, a compassionate Malay girl approached her and inquired about the situation.
The victim confided in her, revealing the harassment she had endured. To the victim’s disbelief, the harasser boldly justified his actions, attributing it to her slow pace on the escalator.
The man arrogantly said he pushed me because I was slow. He admitted touching me.”
Flee the Scene
In an attempt to collect evidence, the victim took out her phone to film the harasser, causing him to flee hastily.
Determined to seek justice, she chased him through the LRT station, crying and searching for him in every carriage, only to be met with curious and judgmental gazes from the other passengers.
Ultimately, unable to find the perpetrator, the victim experienced an emotional breakdown. However, amidst the callous crowd, a few kind individuals offered her a seat and tissues, yet nobody inquired about her well-being or what had transpired.
It was only after mustering the courage to reach out to RapidKL’s customer service for CCTV footage that she realized the escalator cameras did not capture the incident.
Instead, the footage revealed the harasser passing through the LRT station and escaping to the opposite parking lot via a pedestrian bridge.
“It is common”
Upon contacting her mother and explaining the situation to her employer about the delay, she was startled by their reactions.
Both of them nonchalantly dismissed the incident as something ordinary, stating that they had also experienced similar harassment in the past.
Following this, a self-proclaimed policeman contacted her, acknowledging the report lodged by RapidKL after her request to them.
The decision to lodge a formal police report was said to be entirely up to her when she asked the policeman about it.
Conflicted and perhaps influenced by her mother’s and supervisor’s experiences, the victim chose not to report the incident to the authorities, a decision she deeply regrets now.
Speaking to WeirdKaya, she said that her post aims to help and let girls know who to contact when such incidents happen in the future.
They should lodge a police report and not just keep quiet like me. I feel sorry for myself over the years.”
#MeToo
In the comment section, besides many netizens supporting and feeling pity for Lee’s encounter. Some other victims voiced out their similar experiences too.
One said she was also touched by a foreign worker but was a bit late in reaction to catch the suspect red-handed due to shock.
Another victim who was also disheartened after being told that such incidents are common shared how her chest was stared at and her buttock was bumped into a stranger’s private part.
My mother told me it’s normal, all of them experienced it. … … I don’t understand why females have to keep quiet when they were offended like this. … …They said it’s just small movements, not considered sexual harassment.”
One victim shared how she was traumatised and dare not take a public bus anymore after a random old man held her hands at 2 am out of a sudden. Similarly, her ex-boyfriend’s mother said she was overreacting.
“It is normal. How are you going to survive in this society if you cannot handle it?”
Another girl said a foreign worker pinched her buttock at a monorail station. She expressed how clueless and helpless she was at the moment and still does not know what to do if such cases occur again.
All in all, to all sexual harassment victims out there, you are not alone and it is not wrong or abnormal to feel uncomfortable with such experiences. Please seek professional help when you need it.
**WeirdKaya would like to thank Lee for the willingness to share her experience for raising awareness.
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A Chinese woman from Penang was killed in an accident when a BMW sedan from behind collided with the motorcycle she was riding on the way home via the Loh Poh Heng Road.
After the accident, several men brutally assaulted the suspected driver in front of the traffic police.
The incident took place on the morning of May 8 around 10 am. The victim is Tan Yoong Cheng, who used to sell soymilk in the vicinity of Macallum Street.
Her husband and his family are also operating a soymilk business, and the couple has three sons and one daughter.
CCTV footage shows BMW running over
According to the video footage captured by the surveillance camera, Tan was riding her motorcycle alone on her way back home when a white BMW suddenly struck her from behind.
The impact was so strong that she was thrown off the motorcycle and died on the spot due to severe injuries.
After the incident, the traffic police arrived at the scene to investigate, and the deceased’s family rushed to the scene upon receiving the notification to understand the situation.
Watch the footage here. (TW: The video might be traumatising to some.)
Driver “punished” brutally on the spot
Another clip captured by the bystanders shows a crowd gathering at the scene after the accident, including family members of the deceased, tow truck workers, and two traffic police officers.
Two to three men were seen brutally assaulting the driver responsible, and the traffic police officers and tow truck workers intervened to stop them.
Police investigating
Soffian Santong, the District Police Chief of Timur Laut Penang, stated that the police would investigate this fatal car accident based on videos and testimonies provided by the public and eyewitnesses.
He mentioned that there are videos showing the deceased riding a motorcycle and taking a small road via the Loh Poh Heng Road when she tragically collided with the BMW sedan.
Soffian further emphasised that many people have inquired about the accident, but due to the ongoing investigation by the police, details can only be disclosed once they are ready.
Last Journey
The deceased was laid to rest this morning as her family and friends bid her farewell on her final journey.
The deceased’s residence was approximately 500 meters away from the accident site. After five days of mourning at home, her body was cremated at the Batu Gantong Crematorium at 11 am this morning.
At the funeral, the deceased’s husband, struggling with grief, offered incense and paid tribute to his beloved wife, but he declined to be interviewed.
According to Guang Ming Daily, a close friend of the deceased said the family is currently waiting for the police investigation report and will follow up with the police after the funeral to understand the situation.
Regarding the altercation that occurred after the car accident, the friend stated that both parties had already filed police reports.
Eyewitness suspects driver speeding
Eyewitness accounts shed light on the horrifying moments leading up to the collision. One female witness, a security guard, recalled that she heard a jarring engine noise followed by a loud crash.
She immediately looked up and witnessed the white BMW sedan colliding with Tan’s motorcycle. The driver, a young man in his twenties, emerged from the vehicle in a state of panic, pleading for assistance from bystanders with the words “tolong, tolong.”
The witness expressed suspicion that the driver was speeding at the time of the accident.
Driver: Talk in Court
The friend of the deceased said that before the incident, Tan had gone to the market to buy groceries and was on her way back home when the accident occurred, resulting in her tragic death.
He stated that the driver responsible showed a hostile attitude after the incident. The driver immediately took away his car’s black box and said that anything should only be discussed in court, let alone an apology.
“Afterwards, the father and friends of the driver responsible also arrived at the scene and were very impolite.”
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