PETALING JAYA: There are victims of stalking who still face hurdles in bringing perpetrators to justice, despite a new law making it an offence since May last year.
One of them is businesswoman Afifah Roslan, 30, who has been harassed by a former employee since December 2021.
This despite having lodged two police reports against the stalker and having pleaded with the cops to act.
“The police said they could not take action because they had not found any element of a crime or threat,” said Afifah.
“The police had only given him a warning after my second report made in August 2023.
“But he has not learnt his lesson and continued to stalk me this year,” she said when contacted.
It all started in December 2021, when the man texted her to ask her to meet him.
Afifah, who is single, never felt comfortable with the man, so she did not reciprocate and would often divert all correspondence with him to her business partner.
In February 2022, he suddenly resigned without notice and the next month, he started calling and texting her phone as well as creating numerous accounts to follow her on social media.
In his messages, he asked her why she did not look for him after he left, declared his feelings for her, and begged her to meet him.Afifah blocked his number and all his social media accounts, but he still continued trying different ways to reach her.
In May 2022, she filed her first police report after a voicemail from the man, saying, “I have to go and see you. Whatever happens, happens,” left her shaken to the core.
The harassment continued and in August 2023, Afifah filed her second police report after he texted her company’s phone number to beg her staff to help get Afifah to speak to him, saying that he was “going crazy and could not control himself” as he was so upset.
Following Afifah’s action, the man stopped contacting her but in January this year, he started following her business and personal social media accounts through various new accounts.
She said the stalker has taken away her freedom.
“To be honest, I feel very unsafe leaving the house. That feeling of fear resurfaced when he reappeared in my life.
“I feel his presence everywhere. I feel uncomfortable and very cautious when using social media.“I feel very disturbed because I run a business that requires me to use social media for promotional purposes. And he knows everything about my business.
“It is difficult for me to run a promotion if I have a private account,” she said.
Afifah hopes the authorities could look into her case as she has experienced living under the fear and stress of stalking for years.
“I want him to be subjected to action based on all the suffering and fear I went through.
“I really hope that the authorities can act soon so that he stops disturbing me,” she said.
On Wednesday, a man who had stalked a woman over a span of eight years in a separate case was acquitted and discharged by a Magistrate’s Court here.
However, Mohamad Safiq Rosli, 37, who had stalked photographer Acacia Mardiana Daud, 31, was ordered to be held at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak at the pleasure of the Sultan of Selangor.
This means that Mohamad Safiq could be held indefinitely at the mental healthcare facility until an application is made to seek the Selangor Ruler’s consent for his release.
Had he been punished under the newly crafted Section 507A (1) of the Penal Code, under which he was charged, Mohamad Safiq would have faced a jail term not exceeding three years, a fine or both.
