Time to tackle rape head-on

SEXUAL assault is a subject that most Malaysians prefer not to delve into, even if this particular topic is a work of fiction for a film production, as many of us find the subject, frankly, disturbing.

There is a degree of uneasiness over how such a subject with much social stigma here should be tackled sensitively.

So, for many, the easiest way is to avoid it completely.

Unfortunately, sexual assaults, or more precisely, rapes, take place almost every day in Malaysia.

In fact, there are an average of five rape cases reported daily in Malaysia, according to the Journal of Humanistic Psychology.

A compelling and educational drama is finally on our mini screens, with female voices taking the lead.

Liar, a television series produced by Astro Shaw, is a story of a divorced teacher, Lara Sulaiman, who goes on a date with a single father and well-known surgeon, Dr Aiman Yusuf.

He seems like the perfect gentleman – handsome, affluent, educated, witty and well-mannered.

But the relationship takes a disastrous turn after Dr Aiman takes Lara home.

She suddenly feels sick, and by the next morning, she just knows she has been sexually assaulted.

She accuses him of raping her; he naturally denies it, and without any real evidence, Lara faces a wall.

Her family members are also apparently unsupportive of her “baseless” actions in pursuing justice, preferring to have her just move on and forget about the incident that also affects them.

I won’t go any further, as I don’t want this to be a spoiler. I have watched six episodes, and I thought the finale was here. But Astro has told me there are six more shows to go.

Like most of Astro Originals productions, such as Kuasa and Kudeta, the setting is urban, and the dialogue is a mix of Bahasa Malaysia and English, with a multi-racial cast.

So is the production team, with Lim Siu Min as executive producer and Jason Chong and Imri Nasution as co-directors.

Liar is an adaptation of a British thriller of the same name, and Astro has acquired the rights to this Bafta-nominated drama.

The cast boasts the likes of Tiz Zaqyah and Tony Eusoff.

It is not often that local film producers provide a voice for women in Malaysia.

We still deal with gender biases here, let’s face it.

Women are often the ones blamed for rape, an unfair accusation initiated by conservative politicians who think that the way a woman dresses is a contributing factor.

Some even point the finger at “actions” by the women that purportedly send the wrong message to the men.

But the reality is that, according to a 2022 news report, children and teenagers aged between 13 and 18 make up the biggest number of rape victims in Selangor.

Here’s the punchline to these accusers – the victims did not dress provocatively.

Another news report said that date rape is also high, with 60% of it happening during dates, and like Liar, it is hard to prove, especially when victims tend to clean themselves up after such assaults, believing it will wash away the shame and “dirtiness’’ they had just gone through.

But it also means they unwittingly remove the precious evidence away.

In most rape cases, the victims know their predators, and sometimes these may include their own family members.

Researchers Janet Ann Fernandez and Azmanwaty Mohamad Nor, in their article, rightly opined that “the problem lies not in the hands of an individual or a few misogynistic men but in society”.

“It lies in the mindset of the people, and every one of us is taking part in rape culture by endorsing rape myths.

“Rape myth acceptance within Malaysian society encourages sexual assaults or sexual violence.

“Some of the popular rape myths include: the victim’s clothing choice, the victim’s emotional reactions, the presence of physical injuries, rape occurs between strangers, women lie about rape, and men cannot be raped.’’

Astro Shaw, together with Double Vision and All3Media International, deserves to be commended for its willingness to take up this issue.

In the words of Astro Shaw’s head, Raja Jastina Raja Arshad, Liar is a gripping story that explores gender politics, sexual harassment, mental health and deceit, which are rarely addressed on our screens.

I am not lying; it’s a good TV series. Don’t miss it.