Despite new laws, stalking survivors still live in fear

Physical and online stalking survivors may have felt some relief when the country’s justice system finally caught up with their perpetrators with new laws that criminalise harassing behaviour.

However, some survivors continue to live their lives as if any kind of attack was imminent.

On Monday (Oct 3), the Dewan Rakyat passed amendments to the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) criminalising stalking.

Three survivors who spoke to Malaysiakini are not holding their breath for effective enforcement of the law and for police personnel adept at interviewing traumatised complainants.

Until then, they continue to intermittently check under their car for GPS tracking devices, scour social media platforms for fake profiles of themselves, or...