Ramyeea Janani
KUALA LUMPUR: For years, a woman and a married couple have had to put up with almost daily harassment at the hands of their stalkers.
Hit by a constant barrage of messages, they have also had to endure having tales being spread about them.
While the woman knows her stalker, the married couple have no idea who has been stalking them.
The former, who only wanted to be known as Chin, said she met her stalker, whom she called "Datuk Seri Liew", when she was a property agent in 2017.
The 46-year-old, who is now an online businesswoman, said their relationship eventually evolved from a client-agent dynamic to a friendship.
That, however, soon took a dark turn and she began to distance herself from him.
Things became worse, however, and "Datuk Seri Liew" turned aggressive.
Chin said she receuved more than 1,000 emails from the man, who confessed his "love" for her and that he missed her.
Often, she said, these emails came with selfies of himself.
One time, he even managed to access the level of the apartment complex where she lived, leaving flowers and food outside her door.
Chin said she complained to the apartment management and the stalking stopped, but only for a while.
Somehow, her stalker managed to rent an apartment directly below hers.
She claimed the man never stayed there, but would park his car where she was able to see it, telling her that it was their "escape pod" where she could rest.
"I was forced to close my long-held bank accounts after he repeatedly deposited money into them without my consent. He kept transferring money to my accounts, so I had no choice but to close them and open new ones.
"He knew details he shouldn't have, such as my mother's birthday and information about my ex-husband's life. He also spread false information about me, stalked my daughters' Instagram accounts and told others that I had mental health issues and was in need of financial assistance.
"Inconsistent and erratic behaviour further characterised his actions. One day, he would email me saying that he loves me and the next, he would send messages degrading me.
"Despite repeatedly telling him to stop, he continued to send inappropriate pictures of himself in his underwear," she said.
Meanwhile, married couple Lim Kai Shian, 31, and manicurist Fong Meng Min, 29, said they have been subjected to online slander by an unknown individual on Facebook.
Lim said the stalker was of an unspecified gender, as he and his wife received messages with different profile pictures.
The messages first came on Facebook, then WhatsApp. However, when the number was blocked, the messages started coming in via Messenger.
"The stalker sent a message to my wife, accusing me of being responsible for her pregnancy. The same stalker texted me asking if I wanted explicit videos of my wife, sent from a male profile," he said.
The alleged stalker is believed to have closely monitored their daily activities through Facebook before fabricating and spreading defamatory posts.
"The stalker accused of infidelity, and these accusations nearly led to conflicts between my wife and I... this harassment had a serious impact on our lives," he added.
Fed up with what they have had to endure and fearing for their lives, the trio turned to MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong.
He said he had previously summoned Chin's stalker and instructed him to stop what he was doing.
"He brought flowers to give to Chin when he came to my office in 2021, but Chin rejected the offer.
"There was a minor argument between them, I thought the matter would be resolved but Chin informed me that she is still being harassed by the same man," he said.
Meanwhile, MCA legal adviser Marcus Chong said the newly-added Section 507A of the Penal Code makes stalking a criminal offence.
Those found guilty can be imprisoned for up to three years, and fined.