PETALING JAYA: With the constant evolution of sexual harassment over the last few years, Malaysia is strengthening its response to address both traditional and technology-driven threats, including AI-generated abuse, sextortion and harassment in public and online spaces, says Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri (pic).
The Women, Family and Community Development Minister said in an interview that they are implementing a whole-of-government approach focused on prevention, protection and accountability to address the problem.
“While technology has introduced new forms of harm, the fundamental issue remains the violation of dignity and safety, and our legal and institutional response must keep pace. Prevention remains a key priority.”
Nancy’s response comes following several recent incidents, including an e-hailing driver who allegedly sexually harassed a passenger in Johor Baru and X’s Grok artificial intelligence generated deepfakes of women and children, which drew outrage from many.
The police also crippled an online sextortion syndicate targeting victims since 2024, which was responsible for over RM3mil in losses nationwide.
On Feb 10, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the operation, codenamed Ops Bugil, was carried out by Bukit Aman’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) with assistance from the Johor CID.
He said the group was led by a 23-year-old local man and comprised 11 individuals aged between 18 and 37.
Since 2023, the Women’s Development Department has implemented advocacy programmes under the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840), including the Kasih Roadshow and Zero Tolerance initiatives.
“In 2025, 50 programmes were conducted nationwide, reaching 7,009 participants.
“Under Budget 2026, RM600,000 has been allocated to support women’s empowerment and anti-harassment programmes, with an expected reach of 8,000 participants,” said Nancy.
To ensure accountability, she pointed out that the Tribunal for Anti-Sexual Harassment continues to provide victims with accessible civil redress.
As of Feb 15, 81 complaints have been registered since March 2024, with 56 resolved within the statutory timeline, she said.
“From that, 32 were allowed in favour of complainants, 14 dismissed, nine struck out, and one resolved by mutual agreement.”
