SEXUAL harassment involving our policemen has been making the news lately. Unless you have been in a coma you would have read about cops at roadblocks making advances at women they stopped.
Like asking for phone numbers and making suggestions that they want to get to know the women “better”, to actually asking for a woman to lift her blouse to avoid getting a ticket!
But the strange thing is this. When I posted about the blouse incident on Facebook, the comments shocked me. Sympathy at the victim?
Calls for explanations by the PDRM?
No! Most of them were actually accusations hurled at the poor woman who posted her experience at a police roadblock, and admitted that she was not wearing a bra and had forgotten to bring her driving licence with her – not that she did not have a valid one at home.
These netizens said that she should be penalised for that. Agreed. Give her a ticket. Done. But no.
The policeman allegedly asked why she was dressed “sexily”. The woman admitted that she was not wearing a bra. But is that any business of the policeman? Sure, if she was naked in public she would be committing a crime. But being braless under a t-shirt, presumably, is not a criminal offence?
And the policeman supposedly said to the woman that he would not give her a citation, I suppose referring to the driving without a licence bit, if she would lift her blouse!!! Wow!
I’ve heard stories of people offering money to a cop to try and get out of traffic summonses and the cops asking for a bit more to cover things up, but this is a first. Show me your breasts and we’ll tear this up.
Next time I am stopped at a police roadblock, instead of instinctively reaching for my wallet, shall I just pull up my shirt too? Oh wait, there aren’t usually policewomen manning (sorry) roadblocks. But I digress.
When netizens read my post on the incident most of them, shockingly, were only upset at the woman!
“Why was she dressed inappropriately? She’s Muslim and therefore must dress modestly.”
“She’s just asking for it. Why does she have make up on? (Huh?)”
“Next time wear your bra when going out. Got time to put on make-up but no time to wear a bra?”
“She wears a nose ring at the start of the video but it disappeared in other parts of the video. This proves she is lying. (Wow! What powers of deduction.)”
And what is most shocking is that most of these comments shaming the woman came from women!!!
Nobody asked that the police carry out investigations into the complainant’s accusations. Nobody asked if the woman had lodged a police report. Nobody was interested in anything other than shaming her. Even going to the extent of saying that she is fat.
What kind of society have we become?
We have a whole ministry, which we are paying for, in charge of Women, Family & Community Development. What have they said or done? Jack!!! Oh wait! The minister did make a statement about the tabling of the sexual harassment bill which is expected to be ready this March and tabled at the next Dewan Rakyat session. Yes, Covid-19 permitting.
In between photoshoots, the minister announced that the bill would be holistic in nature so that it is able to curb sexual harassment not just limited to protection at the workplace. I guess that includes police roadblocks?
Meanwhile, Bukit Aman has suspended two policemen pending investigations following the allegations.
We shall eagerly await police investigations into these accusations against members of their personnel. And hopefully, they won’t announce the formation of committees and/or royal commissions which usually means that it is the last we shall hear of it.
What Gives? – The Vibes, February 15, 2021
The writer is an accomplished broadcaster and actor of stage and screen. He is also vice-president (special projects) at Petra Group.
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