Compiled by JUNAID IBRAHIM, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN
IT took almost a month for Malaysian singer Ara Johari to recover from a traumatic experience of sexual harassment.
Berita Harian reported that the 27-year-old singer is now more careful with male fans to avoid similar incidents.
Last year, a man grabbed Ara’s hand and kissed it aggressively when she was performing at an event in Nilai, Negri Sembilan.
“Prior to this, I had only heard about such harassment... But now I’m the one impacted,” she said.
She said that she was distressed about it for almost a month.
“Now I have become more careful and will ‘screen’ those who want to take pictures with me, especially men.
“I will make sure to keep my distance to prevent the same incident from happening again. I don’t hire bodyguards, but every time I attend an event, I’ll make sure I’m not alone,” she said.
> Sinar Harian reported that Penang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor objected to an actor’s proposal to open a “prostitution house” for foreign workers.
He said such a move would send out the message that Malaysia is encouraging sex work in the country, adding that this is against Islamic teachings.
Furthermore, he said no religion would encourage its believers to do so.
“This recommendation will only bring more problems than solutions,” he added.
Actor Datuk Rosyam Nor was reported to have suggested that brothels are necessary in curbing crimes involving foreigners.
He stressed that this is his personal view. Most such foreign workers, he said, had wives who remained in their home country.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a, it denotes a separate news item.
