KUALA LUMPUR – A three-year-old petition filed by the All Women’s Action Society (Awam) on Zero Tolerance to Rape has regained popularity after comments from local actor Fauzi Nawawi set off a massive a public backlash.
The petition started by Awam on November 25, 2019 – in conjunction with International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women – has garnered more than 600,000 signatures.
It has attracted nearly 10,000 signatures yesterday alone and was trending on Twitter alongside the hashtags #RapeJokeIsNotFunny and #FauziNawawi.
“Although the petition is not directly linked to the actor’s interview, the drastic increase of signatures shows that the ‘Zero Tolerance to Rape’ message resonates with the public sentiment that what happens behind the ‘joke’ is something more serious,” said Awam in a statement.
According to the petition description, a person is being raped every 35 minutes, and victims and survivors of rape can be anyone – women, men, girls, boys, transpeople, indigenous people, or the elderly.
It called for amendment to the law to include marital rape and date rape, and to expand the definition of rape.
It also urged for better awareness on consent, and better care and access for rape survivors.
“There is a need to review and reform one-stop crisis centres (OSCC) to ensure that all survivors receive equal attention, equal care and equal protection under the law,” it added.
Yesterday, diving star Datuk Pandelela Rinong alleged that a coach had previously made lewd remarks in her presence and when she once chided him for it, he started to bully her.
“At one particular time, I had a coach who liked to make lewd jokes. I was always silent and didn’t even try to fake a laugh as I was afraid of him.”
Seven years later, the coach was accused of rape and then acquitted after the prosecution withdrew its appeal in the Court of Appeal.
Her revelations that garnered much public support came after the controversy Fauzi found himself in.
Fauzi caught flak after he recently “boasted about how he enjoyed filming the rape scene” that was deleted from the 2007 movie Anak Halal.
On talk show Rumah No. 107 that aired on Astro, Fauzi was asked if he preferred doing robbery or rape scenes, which he then answered “both”.
“When people say I look like a rapist, I feel more excited to film the scene,” the Gerak Khas actor was quoted as saying by Malay Mail.
“She was wearing tight shorts and her legs were spread out.
“The crew were all watching us, we were all sweating. I was trying my best to control my tiredness and lust.”
He later apologised after civil society groups and Malaysians condemned him for trivialising rape. – The Vibes, October 22, 2021
