KUALA LUMPUR: The year 2024 has been unfortunately marred by quite an assortment of tragic events, some of which shocked the country, including brutal murders of four individuals, including an innocent child.
The virtual world was not spared either, and social media users were shocked when influencer A. Rajeswary took her own life as a result of being cyberbullied, an incident that exposed the darker side of the digital era we all live in.
The most shocking and brutal crime is undoubtedly that of teacher Istiqomah Ahmad Rozi, 33, who was reported missing on Dec 26, 2023.
Five days later, human body parts, headless and armless, were found dumped in a garbage can thrown in a drain in Alor Gajah, Melaka.
Almost seven months went by before Alor Gajah district police chief Ashari Abu Samah confirmed on Aug 12 this year that the body parts did indeed belong to the missing teacher and that the police arrested a couple in Chemor, who were believed to have known the victim through foreign exchange investment matters.
But Istiqomah was not the only missing woman to meet a gruesome end.
Malaysians had already been shocked earlier in the year by the case of former Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student Nur Farah Kartini, 25.
Reported missing on July 11, her body was found five days later in an oil palm plantation in Hulu Bernam, Selangor.
A 26-year-old policeman, an acquaintance who knew her was arrested and investigated for her murder.
At the Orang Asli village of Kampung Bersah, Pos Kuala Mu, where modernity ends and the jungle begins, a murderer took the life of hearing-impaired Nuraina Humaira Rosli, 10, who was reported missing on Aug 16 before her body was found the next day in an area near her village.
A subsequent autopsy revealed she had been most likely strangled to death, and was believed to have been raped before she was murdered.
The police arrested a teenage boy, 17, who was related to her to assist in investigations.
The depths of human cruelty and depravity were once again on full display as details of the henious murder of Sabari Baharom, 62, on Sept 4 came to light.
The retiree, who was reported missing in Baling, Kedah, was believed to have been tossed into Sungai Padang Terap, Kubang Pasu, Kedah still alive, with his hands tied and mouth taped with duct tape.
Two men, 26 and 38, were charged in court for his murder on Oct 17, but Sabari's body has yet to be found till today.
The death of influencer Rajeswary, known as Esha, due to cyberbullying showed how dangerous the virtual world can actually be.
She was found dead in a condominium in Setapak on July 5, a day after lodging a police report about the harassment she faced from cyberbullying.
Her death led to two individuals - a local man and a woman - being charged with offences under the Penal Code, the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988, and the Minor Offences Act 1955 on July 16.
Esha's tragic death showed Malaysians that cyberbullying was not a minor issue that could be disregarded, and led to the government tabling the Cyber Security Bill 2024 to curb future cybercrimes.
The government has recently amended the Communications and Multimedia Act to ensure the digital ecosystem in the country will not only develop rapidly but also safely and free from the threat of cybercrime.
What occurred in 2024 reflects the grim reality that we face as a society today, with not only physical threats but also those in the digital world.
Therefore, public awareness and proactive measures are now vital steps to ensure a safer and harmonious environment in the future – Bernama