In recent months, Malaysia has witnessed a disturbing surge in incidents involving men secretly recording or peeping at women in public restrooms. From shopping malls in Johor to even the most recent, a petrol station on the 29th of May. These violations are not isolated events but part of a troubling pattern.
There’s something profoundly unsettling about how unsafe public spaces can feel for women, even in the most ordinary moments. A trip to the petrol station, a walk in the park, or a quick stop at the mall can turn into a nerve-racking experience. Not because women are being paranoid, but because time and again, they’ve been given reasons not to feel safe.
It raises the uncomfortable question, what happened to basic human decency? When did it become okay for some men to treat women’s privacy as entertainment? The lack of empathy, the lack of shame is disturbing.
What’s more painful is how society often normalizes these violations or downplays them as “harmless” or “curiosity.” But to women, it’s not harmless. It’s humiliating. It’s terrifying. And it's exhausting.
There’s a collective weariness among women, a constant need to stay alert, to watch over their shoulder, to be cautious even in places where safety should be a given. That emotional toll, the weight of being on guard all the time, is something no one should have to carry just for existing in public.
Yes, laws can help. CCTV and stricter penalties are important. But change also begins in the hearts and minds of people. It begins with parents teaching their sons respect. It begins with men holding each other accountable. It begins with empathy.
Women deserve to walk freely. To use a toilet without fear. These are not luxuries, they’re basic human rights. And it’s time we treat them that way.
Kesennajaylan (kesenjay@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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