SHAH ALAM - A Malaysian TikTok content creator is believed to have committed suicide after being a victim of cyberbullying for months on TikTok.
The 30-year-old woman who usually shares positivity and beauty content on TikTok was said to have been tormented by a group of anonymous TikTok accounts prior to her death.
The perpetrators, hiding behind fake profiles, allegedly relentlessly harassed her with derogatory remarks and even involved her family in their attacks.
United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) deputy chairman David Marshel revealed that a week before her death, the woman had confided in him about the severe cyber-bullying she was experiencing, expressing her desperation and suicidal thoughts.
In a statement on his Facebook account, David recounted their conversation and his attempts to assist her.
"She contacted me a week ago, seeking help to save her from the cyberbullying she was facing on social media. Many of her bullies were using fake accounts.
"She told me she felt suicidal due to the continuous harassment, including offensive comments about her family and their photos.
"I spent over 45 minutes talking and advising her. I urged her to take a break from TikTok and return once things had calmed down, suggesting she start an online business through the platform,” he said in the statement.
David also said he had encouraged her to stay strong and pray to cope with the pressure.
"She promised she wouldn't take her own life and would avoid the harassment.
"However, today, I received the heartbreaking news of her suspected suicide due to mental stress. I am still awaiting the official report on her cause of death," he said.
David stressed the urgent need for more stringent measures to combat cyberbullying and the misuse of social media platforms.
"The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia must shift its focus from censoring political criticism to addressing cyberbullying, which has cost lives.
"We need mandatory registration for social media accounts with identification cards or passports to prevent extreme bullying and identify perpetrators for legal action.
"We hope her death will be the last and the government, especially the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, will quickly establish the necessary policies. The Madani government must prioritise the well-being of its citizens over political agendas," he said.
Meanwhile, Wangsa Maju district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Lazim Ismail when asked about the case said an investigation would be carried out.
The family member of the woman when contacted said they were waiting for postmortem to be conducted and police from the Setapak police station had collected their statements.
Cyberbully case is not new in Malaysia, two years ago a mother of three have committed suicide after being cyber-bullied in TikTok.
The 44-year-old woman was found at her home in USJ, Subang Jaya in the early morning today and she was pronounced dead as she was transported to the hospital. Her TikTok account was believed to garner a barrage of hateful comments over her appearance and her handbag collections.