Penang exco wants authorities to take violence against women seriously

A Penang executive councillor has expressed deep shock, saying she was saddened by the vicious online attacks against two of her fellow women leaders.

Chong Eng said her comrades were victimised by sexist and racist remarks.

"They were also threatened with rape and murder. I condemn these shameful acts of violence," said the exco for women and family development, gender inclusiveness and religions other than Islam.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Chong said women are vulnerable, both physically and culturally.

"They are still regarded as second class human, and are subordinate to their male counterparts," she said.

Chong related a personal experience in 1995 when she first contested in Batu Lanchang, saying a female lawyer friend sent her a woman clerk to assist her operations centre.

"The next day she received a call from an unknown person telling her that he knew where she lived and said he also knew she had a daughter.

"If she did not want rape to happen to her daughter, she better stop helping me.

"These days, my four other women elected representatives said they faced similar threats," Chong added.

She was referring to a report in The Sun today, where the duo - Jamaliah Jamaluddin (Bandar Utama) and Lim Yi Wei (Kampung Tunku) - had lodged a police report on Saturday after receiving racist, sexist and violent threats of rape and murder via Facebook. 

In a statement later, Chong said gender-based violence is more than a collection of individual events.

She added that it is part of a "deep pattern of inequality" between women and men in society.

Chong said nearly every woman can relate to the experience of violence, whether in her own life or in the lives of other women around her.

"Our increasing dependency on the internet and social media has created new platforms where such violence thrives."

Chong also cited the recent statistics from the All Women's Action Society (Awam) which showed that online sexual harassment is on the rise, hovering about 41.7 percent of sexual harassment cases.

She noted that a tragic suicide incident of young R Thivya Nayagi last week as a result of such cyberbullying.

"These incidents are a wake-up call for all of us to take action against this destructive development," Chong said.

She urged the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) as well as other authorities to take online gender-based violence seriously.

Chong told the commission to take immediate measures against all perpetrators.

"They must not be allowed to get away with it. New trends such as this require concerted efforts and fresh solutions," she said.

Meanwhile, Chong reminded the public about the importance of increasing women’s representation in leadership. 

She said the country needed a critical mass of women decision-makers to speak up on this and other gender issues.

"Women's voices matter and they must be heard."

She also sent a firm message to all survivors of online gender-based violence.

"I urge you to remain strong. We are with you, and we will not give up this fight for a safer and fairer Malaysia," Chong vowed. - Mkini