A 55-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested in Gerik after a video documenting a brazen act of sexual harassment inside a supermarket went viral, drawing sharp condemnation from the public.
The arrest followed a formal complaint lodged on Thursday afternoon by a 25-year-old female employee who confronted the suspect during the incident.
According to Gerik District Police Chief Superintendent Abdul Samad Othman, the victim reported the encounter at 5.57pm, shortly after the event took place.
Investigations suggest the harassment occurred at approximately 3.33pm when the employee’s attention was drawn to a suspicious noise in her vicinity.
The victim, who was working at the supermarket at the time, initially heard a sound resembling a zipper being opened, which prompted her to investigate before discovering the suspect committing the sexual harassment, Abdul Samad stated.
At that moment, the suspect was exposing himself and masturbating while staring directly at the complainant.
The victim took action by recording the suspect's behaviour on her mobile phone and reprimanding him until he fled the scene.
The evidence captured by the employee, which circulated in a video lasting over two minutes, shows a tense confrontation between the worker and the man.
The footage served as a primary catalyst for the swift police response after the digital evidence sparked a wave of outrage among Malaysian netizens concerned with public safety and workplace harassment.
Authorities confirmed that the suspect is currently being held in police custody. He is expected to be produced in court shortly to facilitate a remand order, allowing investigators to finalise the case.
While police have not released the identity of the individual, they have assured the public that the investigation is being handled with urgency. - April 24, 2026
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