It took until September 2022 for student Farah Azuin Abdul Razak to receive justice, some 15 months after she first reported she had been sexually harassed by her lecturer from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM). Initially, her complaint to university management was met with silence, prompting her to go public on social media.
Such digital activism is showing a significant impact on university policies and changing the attitudes of university administrators towards violence against women. The constant pressure and actions by the victims, members of the public, and civil societies have prompted universities to take heed.
The stories emerging from Malaysia’s education sector in recent years are almost too shocking to believe. When 17-year-old student, Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam brought to light the lackadaisical attitude of her school in addressing and conducting appropriate action against her teacher for making rape jokes to students, the teacher decided to sue Ain for defamation.
