KANGAR: The Social Support Centre (PSSS) of Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN) received reports of sexual harassment occurrences from 1,213 people during the 12th series of the KPWKM@Advocacy Anti-Sexual Harassment Roadshow launched last May.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Aiman Athirah Sabu said of the total, 351 individuals, or 28.9% per cent of those who filed complaints, were men.
"Men should not take this issue lightly because they are also not immune to sexual harassment," she said when officiating the 13th series of the roadshow here Sunday (Oct 29).
On May 29, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi launched the national-level Anti-Sexual Harassment Advocacy Roadshow in Putrajaya, with the aim of raising awareness of sexual harassment among society.
Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference after the event, Aiman Athirah said that sexual harassment at the workplace and at home was among the reports recorded in the PSSS inventory.
She also said that according to police statistics, a total of 477 cases of sexual harassment were reported in 2022, compared to 506 in 2021, and that the majority of victims were women.
"However, we must admit that many incidences of sexual harassment are still not reported to the authorities and the actual number may be higher than what is reported,” she said.
Aiman Athirah said according to a report from Unicef Malaysia in 2021, at least 4% of children aged 12 to 17 years old were subjected to clear instances of online sexual exploitation and abuse. - Bernama
