KUALA LUMPUR – Investigations have been initiated into the alleged police misconduct where officers were accused of saying derogatory remarks to a cosplayer after she attempted to lodge a harassment report.
Petaling Jaya district police chief Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Hamid said such allegations against the officers are matters of great concern to the force, and action will be taken against the culprits if wrongdoings are proven.
He added his district’s Integrity and Standard Compliance Division has initiated investigations into the incident, and confirmed that it took place at the Kelana Jaya police station on Monday.
“Stern action will be taken against any officer or officers who are proven to have been involved in the incident. Police will always strive to give the best treatment and service to society.”
In the incident, a cosplayer took to Twitter to complain about how she was treated by police officers when she went to lodge a report of allegedly being attacked and harassed by a man she claimed was a stalker.
The victim in her Twitter thread said that she had gone to the police station in her cosplay costume, which led to the supposed unsavoury remarks by the police about her dressing.
“You pakai macam ini, jual gambar macam ini, ini adalah consequences you; you pun juga salah,” the victim claimed police said to her. (“Dressed like this, selling such photos, these are your consequences; you are also at fault.”)
Police, according to the tweet, had also allegedly questioned the victim’s age and even suggested she relook at her career choices.
The victim had claimed the incident took place within Paradigm Mall during a recent cosplay event, and that the alleged aggressor had made previous advances toward the victim.
Cosplaying is a Japanese-inspired subculture that sees hobbyists dress up in costumes representing characters from comics, video games, television, or movies while attempting to mimic the actual personalities to remain in character. – The Vibes, May 18, 2022