It is unacceptable that a woman who claimed to have been sexually harassed by a policeman was not able to get through a hotline set up to report errant cops, said a lawmaker.
Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (above) said this was more disturbing than the alleged harassment, which he was outraged by.
Yesterday, a woman tweeted that an officer at a roadblock in Jalan Duta in the capital had threatened to impose a fine on her if she did not expose herself to him. He also forced her to give him her mobile phone number.
The victim said she had tried to call the police force's Integrity and Standard Compliance Department (Jips) hotline but could not get through.
She has since lodged a police report on the matter and both Bukit Aman and Jips are looking into the case.
Nik Nazmi said police must investigate both the harassment and the alleged failure of the Jips hotline.
He said the government must also improve gender sensitivity for all personnel, especially those in enforcement agencies.
"Women have the right to be in public without being subjected to harassment or vilification of any kind," he said in a statement.
"Ordinary Malaysians undoubtedly appreciate the hard work and sacrifices of our police but we also have the right and indeed, a duty to demand the highest standards of professional conduct from them.
"It is also equally important that our society listens to all victims of sexual harassment and abuse while ensuring justice is done in all cases," he added.
The incident at Jalan Duta yesterday, is one of two harassment incidents involving policemen at roadblocks that caught public attention today.
The other involved a policeman who texted a woman to purportedly "get to know her better" after stopping her at a movement control order (MCO) roadblock.
Commenting on the latter case, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh said public and private sector personnel needed to be educated on work ethic and how to handle personal data obtained in the course of work.
She also said the people must be educated on sexual harassment and push the Women, Family, and Community Ministry to table the Sexual Harassment Bill which has been pending for years.
Yeoh said there must also be a better accountability system for the police.
Police misconduct had previously been a primary driver for calls to establish the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).
However, the Perikatan Nasional Plus government is instead pushing for a significantly watered down Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC), which does not have the authority to punish errant officers. - Mkini
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