Stalking can be deadly and must be recognised as a crime

Anti-stalking laws can protect women and ensure that stalking does not escalate to a more violent crime, which is a common outcome. Photo: AZMAN GHANI/ The Star

HE would lurk outside her classroom all afternoon, waiting for her to step into the deserted corridor once all her students had left, saying that he wanted to talk. He’d follow her around campus, and send her inappropriate messages complimenting how she looked, inviting her out for meals and even professing his love for her.

The stalking that Aida*, a lecturer at a private college in Kuala Lumpur, suffered at the hands of a student went on for more than a year and it took an immense toll on her.