1. Say NO and be firm. Let the harasser know you are clearly uncomfortable and do not appreciate their behaviour. 

2. Document and collect evidence. Take notes to keep track of the time, date, place and actions of the harasser as well as who were present at the scene. Keep screenshots of messages of harassment as evidence. This is especially important if you are under the age of 18 and wish to file a report when you are 18, or alternatively, you can get the help of an adult to file the report for you. 

3. Talk to someone. Let a person you can trust know about the harassment and alert them on the situation. Alternatively, you can call a helpline for support and advice such as All Women’s Action Society (AWAM)’s Telenita or Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)’s TINA. 

4. Speak to a lawyer. It’s important to get legal advice to assess the situation and plan your next steps. AWAM offers free legal advice while free legal aid can be obtained from the Bar Council. 

5. File a report. Typically, the process involves making the police report and submitting a medical check-up. The police will then investigate, and the case will go to trial subject to the evidence provided. When the case goes to trial, the survivor will be legally represented by the Deputy Public Prosecutor. 

Sexual harassment can occur in all situations, whether it is at your workplace, school or even in public. Despite that, Malaysia does not have a specific law that targets sexual harassment which often leads to reports of sexual harassment not being taken seriously or completely disregarded. The Sexual Harassment Bill has been in the works for the past 20 years and aims to protect all survivors regardless of gender, race and background. Let’s step up and use our voice to ensure that this bill gets tabled at the parliament this November! The petition can be found here. AWAM currently has garnered over 16,000 e-signatures, BUT the traditional Paper Petition is what gets this cause heard in Parliament. YOUR help is needed to amplify the Rakyat’s call for our MPs to address sexual harassment head-on‼️ Follow these steps to sign the paper petition: 

1. Get in touch with AWAM via Instagram @awammalaysia or call them at 0378774221 to get your copy of the petition. 

2. Sign the Petition. Remember to include your IC number, address and full name 📝 

3. Send the petition back to AWAM! You have 2 options for this depending on where you stay📬📫 

*The paper petition is open to Malaysians ONLY. But remember, the Sexual Harassment Act is for everyone! 

*The 2nd image ‘How to send it back’ has a mistake. Petitions sent via PosLaju must be mailed before 16th November). 

You can also donate to AWAM’s Sexual Harassment Awareness, Redress & Prevention (SHARP) Program that will enable them to provide trainings for free to the people who can’t afford them (ex. Orang Asli estate workers, students in smaller schools, non-English speaking communities, etc.) but need them the most. 

If you or someone you know is having a hard time or have experienced any form of gender-based violence, do reach out to AWAM’s Helpline, Telenita at 0162374221, WAO’s 24/7 Hotline at 0379563488 or WhatsApp Tina at 0189888058.