KOTA SAMARAHAN: Thousand of cases of sexual harassment involving men have been reported due to the involvement of Women, Family and Community Development Ministry in the Anti Sexual Harassment Tribunal (TAGS).
Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said that cases of sexual harassment does not only happened to women, it also happened to men as well.
That being said, she urged men who are victims of sexual harassment to come forward, file a police report and seek support systems.
“At the ministry level, especially when they lodge complaints with a counselor, we advise them to file a police report.
“Before we were involved in the engagement for the TAGS, there were only hundreds of sexual harassment reports filed with the police.
“However, since we became involved, we found that thousands of cases of sexual harassment involving men have been reported.”
Nancy said this in a press conference after attending the Toleransi Sifar Keganasan @ Advokasi Antigangguan Seksual programme at Dewan Arena Gemilang, Unimas here today (Dec 12).
“One of the reasons why men who become victims of sexual harassment are afraid of reporting is due to the shame.
“The victim was even asked by the counsellor to share what happened when they got sexually harassed.
“We understand that they were mentally disturbed because of the harassment they went through.
“That is why, through TAGS they were able to know what are some other steps they could do, and what more we can do to assists them.
“We do what we can, and we do not force them to take an sort of action, but we encouraged them if they chose to do it.”
For instance, there was a case, Nancy revealed, where the victim was harassed by a salesman when he tried a new outfit.
“The victim told the counsellor that he got ‘spanked’ by the salesman and since then he was disturbed by it.
“Our advice that time, if he chose to report it he must have the evidence that the salesman harassed him.
“However, if he chose not to, then we respect his decision,” she added.
