Harassed commuters urged to ask auxiliary police for help

KUALA LUMPUR: Throughout this year, 22 sexual harassment cases were recorded at Prasarana Malaysia Bhd’s chain of public transport services.

From that number, 21 men were arrested by auxiliary police.

Prasarana gave its assurance that every report lodged with regard to sexual harassment within its public transport network would be investigated and not taken lightly.

It said in the same period, its security team had also picked up 13 men over suspicion of harassing commuters onboard its public transport.

Prasarana group communications and strategic marketing head Lim Jin Aun said given that the public transport services managed by their subsidiaries carry more than one million commuters a day, the organisation was bound to face unwelcomed incidents.

Prasarana’s operations and security team members, however, were committed to assist their customers should they encounter any incidents. In most cases, perpetrators were caught within several days after the incidents were reported.

Commenting on a recent incident last Thursday, Lim said four sexual harassment cases took place within the Rapid KL urban rail network.

“The suspect involved in three of the cases was arrested not long after the victims approached auxiliary police at the stations. In the fourth case, the auxiliary police gave chase to the man upon being informed by the victim, but lost the suspect during the chase.”

He said the management had met the victim and gave their assurance that the incident would be investigated.

He said auxiliary police had identified the perpetrator after viewing closed-circuit television camera recordings, which was also shared with the police, adding that Prasarana’s auxiliary police were working with the police to arrest the perpetrator.

“We assure commuters that our auxiliary police maintain omnipresence, in uniform as well as in plain clothes, within our public transport network,” Lim said.

“We urge commuters who have been harassed to approach our auxiliary police for assistance as soon as possible, and work with us to apprehend the suspect.

“While sharing the incident on social media would generate public awareness, we do not want the suspect to give us the slip upon knowing the publicity generated.”

We assure commuters that our auxiliary police maintain omnipresence.