Over the past few days, the whole of Malaysia had their eyed fixed on the tragic case of Rajeswary Appahu, also known as Esha, who ended her life due to intense cyberbullying.
Amidst the national attention given to the case, there was another individual who also caught the public eye, not because of her involvement in the case, but for her apparent lack of remorse and lenient punishment.
Who is she? She’s none other than Shalini Periasamy, who was fined RM100 for her role in Esha’s death as well as her unremorseful smirk when she walked out of the courtroom.
Given the level of attention Esha’s case has attracted, we decided to dig more into Shalini’s past and had our jaws drop after discovering that she has long touted herself as an “advocate for cyberbullying victims” on social media.
Serves as a senior psychiatric physiotherapist
Based on her public LinkedIn profile, Shalini describes herself as a “senior psychiatric physiotherapist.” She studied Physiotherapy at a university in India, earning her degree in 2012.
She holds the position of senior physiotherapist at a psychiatric home service center, where she utilizes her expertise to assist patients.
Once was against cyberbullying
Shalini had a huge following who watched her videos for her inputs in serious matters, such as mental health and cyberbullying.
On top of that, we found out about Shalini’s videos on her YouTube channel, where she frequently addressed the issue of cyberbullying and spoke on the devastating effect it had on victims. Well, now most of her followers has turned their backs on her due to her involvement in Esha’s case.
One such instance was in 2020, where a young girl named R. Thivya Nayagi committed suicide due to cyberbullying.
Following the tragedy, Shalini created a video highlighting the seriousness of the issue and condemning such behaviour.
I personally do not entertain trollers as I work with psychiatric patients and I know how their brains function. If your brain is working right, why would you even use a fake account to troll?
The video was shocking, revealing a complete change in her personality as of now. Once a person who was against cyberbullying, she has now become involved in it herself.
She also once “slammed cyberbullies”, calling them people who “lack self-respect” and reiterated that she abhored giving any form of attention to them.
However, given what we already know about her involvement in Esha’s tragic death, we can’t help but to wonder: Was her previous claims of being an advocate for cyberbullying victims just a facade?
RM100 fine only?
Following Shalini’s guilty plea to having a hand in Esha’s passing, Malaysians were appalled to hear that her punishment was a RM100 fine under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 — something which many found to be grossly disproportionate to her actions.
Shedding further light on her sentence, T Harpal Singh, a lawyer holding a watching brief for Esha’s family, told Harapan Daily that the case against Shalini wouldn’t be strong enough to warrant a heavier sentence.
If the police and prosecution continued to charge her under Section 506 or 509 (of the Penal Code) using Esha’s complaint, charges can be made but the case would not be strong.
“For example, if I use obscenities against an individual, if that person makes a report and I’m charged in court and I don’t plead guilty, the case would have to be heard,” he explained.
Singh also added that the cyberbullying victim has to appear in court to testify in order for a heavier sentence to be levied. But in Esha’s case, she was no longer alive to do so.
Furthermore, Malaysia currently doesn’t have any laws in place that specifically deals with cyberbullying.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil expressed disappointment, noting that netizens are outraged by the fine and her lack of remorse.
“We need to work hard to strengthen our laws.”
In light of Esha’s passing, we wish to reiterate that cyberbullying isn’t cool and can lead to severe mental consequences. If you or anyone is experiencing cyberbullying, please call the following helplines:
Befrienders KL
Contact: 03-76272929
Operating hours: 24/7
Befrienders Penang
Contact: 04-2910 100
Operating hours: 3 pm- 12am daily
SNEHAM Malaysia
Contact: 1800 225757
Operating hours: 4 pm-8 pm daily
LifeLine Malaysia
Counselling Helpline: 03-4265 7995
Monday To Friday 9.30am – 10.30 pm, Saturday 2.30 pm – 5.30 pm
Late-Night Helpline: 011-5779 5803, 011-5779 5813
Friday & Saturday 10.30pm – 1.30am
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