KUALA LUMPUR: The Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) is urging the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law), Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan to make stalking a crime as new research shows that a third of Malaysians have experienced an act of stalking.
A statement from the WAO on Wednesday said the survey titled "Understanding Malaysians' Experiences of Stalking", which was conducted by a research company called Vase.ai and the Women's Aid Organisation, was based on insights from 1,008 respondent consisting of Malaysian men and women.
Based on the survey results, acts associated with stalking experienced by Malaysians include receiving unwanted phone calls or messages, receiving unwanted gifts, being watched or followed, having individuals show up at their home, workplace, or school unwanted, and having their property vandalised.
The results of the survey also shows that 88 per cent of Malaysians have experienced an act associated with stalking, with 60 per cent of Malaysians having experienced these acts on more than one occasion or continuously.
WAO head of campaign, Natasha Dandavati said 34 per cent of Malaysians experienced an act of stalking in the past year.
"The respondents also experienced other acts associated with stalking with 74 per cent of the respondents receiving unwanted phone calls or messages from people.
"Stalking on social media is also included with 76 per cent of the respondents receiving unwanted emails, chats or messages via platforms such as Facebook and Instagram," she said.
According to the WAO, 12 per cent of the respondents had been spied on via a listening device, camera or GPS (global positioning system) on more than one occasion, while 32 per cent of respondents have been watched or followed from a distance before.
Another proof that stalking should be a crime is that 33 per cent of Malaysians have experienced individuals who they did not want showing up at their homes, workplace, or school, she said.
"The aftermath of stalking could cause fear to the victims and in certain cases, it could lead to self-harm.
"Approximately 46 per cent of Malaysians who experienced acts associated with stalking suffered a negative impact on their social, educational and household activities." said Natasha in the same statement.
Natasha also added that nearly one-fifth of the respondents who experienced an act associated with stalking said they were unable to focus in their employment place.
"Seventeen per cent of the respondent could not or didn't feel safe being alone in public, while 6 per cent of the respondent could not or did not feel safe to attend university or a skills training course," she said.
The survey conducted by the WAO found out that the lack of better response by law enforcement is one of the reasons why 69 per cent of respondents who experienced an act of stalking did not report it to the police.
"Of these respondents, 45 per cent of them did not lodge a police report because they didn't believe the police could or would help.
"While 31 per cent of respondents who did make a police report, nearly half of the respondents were not satisfied with the action taken by the police.
"The WAO believes that by making an anti-stalking law, it would help to enhance societal understanding of stalking and spread awareness both on the part of survivors of stalking as well as on the part of perpetrators who are engaging in acts of stalking," added Natasha.
Despite the findings of the survey results which shows that 69 per cent of Malaysians believe that stalking is wrong, the high prevalence and low reporting rates of stalking suggest that there may be a gap in the law, and although stalking is a fairly common occurrence, it is going unreported and unpunished, she said.