Report immediately if violated in public transport - Muhamad Akmal

MELAKA - Women are urged not to remain silent and lodge a report immediately if molested, especially when using public transport, says Melaka Health and Anti-Drug Committee chairman Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.

He said the authorities took the issue of modesty outrage seriously, adding that any perpetrators of sexual crimes would be brought to justice for the appropriate punishment.

He made the statement on his official Facebook page through a 3-min 41-sec video after receiving a message on the platform asking for help in relation to an incident of sexual harassment.

"This morning at dawn, I received a message from a friend on Facebook regarding an incident that happened to an acquaintance while returning to Melaka.

"This young victim was too afraid to call out for help and could only cry. Then I and some friends waited in Melaka to assist this girl," he said.

Meanwhile, state Criminal Investigation Department chief Assistant Commissioner Lim Meng Seah said a 27-year-old man was arrested after the department received a report involving a 21-year-old passenger who claimed to have been molested while sleeping in the express bus.

He said the suspect was arrested as soon as the bus travelling from Kelantan arrived at the Melaka Sentral Terminal here at about 10.30am today.

"The express bus was on its way from Kelantan to Melaka where the victim, who is also a student at a teacher training college in the state, claimed to have been molested by the suspect when the bus stopped for rest in Ajil, Hulu Terengganu at about 4am.

"Based on the information, police detained the driver from Kota Tinggi, Johor, as soon as the express bus arrived in Melaka Sentral," he said.

He added that the female student had lodged a police report at the Melaka Sentral police station at noon today, and the suspect was detained in the lock-up, while the case would be handed over to the Hulu Terengganu District Police Headquarters for further investigation. - BERNAMA