UTAR forum educates 400+ attendees on tackling harassment and cyberbullying

A group photo marking the successful conclusion of the forum

The Harassment and Cyberbully Forum was organised by UTAR Centre for Healthy Minds and Wellbeing (CHMW), in collaboration with the Department of Student Affairs, on 12 November 2024 at UTAR Sungai Long Campus.

Held in conjunction with National Counselling Month 2024, the forum served as a platform to shed light on critical issues surrounding boundary violations and cyberbullying. It delved into key topics such as the definitions and implications of these behaviours, individuals’ legal rights in addressing such challenges, effective prevention strategies, and the range of support resources available to those affected. The event aimed to empower participants with knowledge and tools to foster safer, more respectful environments both online and offline.

Speakers sharing their thoughts

Invited to share their knowledge at the forum were National Legal Aid Foundation Panel Lawyer and Society for Scientific Study of Sexuality KL & Selangor Legal Consultant Ms Tan Kim Kiek, ThinkLEO Solutions Founder and Managing Director Mr Leo Lourdes and Scientific Studies of Human Sexuality KL Committee Member Ms Ariel Lim. It was moderated by UTAR Centre for Foundation Studies (Sungai Long Campus) Department of Arts and Social Science academic Cik Nurazrin binti Mohd Aidil.

Ms Ariel Lim

“According to the “Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 [Act 840]”, unwanted conduct of an offensive or harmful nature directed at a person during employment is addressed under the law,” explained Ms Ariel Lim in her presentation on harassment. She highlighted four key categories, namely physical, verbal, environmental, and online. 

Ms Lim also discussed common misconceptions and the impact of such behaviours, emphasising available support options. These include confiding in trusted individuals, seeking assistance from support organisations, obtaining medical help, or filing formal complaints with relevant authorities.

Ms Tan Kim Kiek

Ms Tan, on the other hand, presented a topic titled “Lodging a Police Report” She explained that a police report is essentially a “complaint” to the police, commonly referred to as the “First Information Report (FIR)”. While explaining where one can lodge a police report, she stated, “A police officer shall be duty bound to receive any information in relation to any offence committed anywhere in Malaysia.”

Ms Tan further elaborated on the objectives of FIR, including who can lodge a police report, and who holds the legal duty to report incidents to the JKM and the police. She also outlined the key details that should be provided in a police report, including the details of eyewitness; date, time and venue of the incident; losses, damages, injuries or word spoken; weapons held by the suspect; description of the suspect; and the details of the suspect. She also talked about the laws of Malaysia.

Mr Leo Lourdes

Presenting on a topic titled Click! Trap! Exploit! The Rise of Cyber Exploitation, Mr Leo highlighted the growing concerns surrounding cyber exploitation in today’s digital age. During his presentation, he shared findings from a cross-sectional study involving 1,449 participants and discussed various forms of online harassment and cyberbullying, including trolling and harassment, doxing, and defamation. He explained how these actions can have severe emotional, psychological, and even physical consequences for victims. He also emphasised the role of social media platforms and digital communication tools in facilitating such exploitative behaviours.

He urged the audience, stating, “I encourage every one of you to take proactive action to combat cyberbullying before it is too late.”

The fruitful forum then ended with an interactive Q&A session and a presentation of souvenirs to the speakers and moderator.

School students posing their questions during Q&A session

Over 400 participants attended the forum, including teachers, students from primary and secondary schools, as well as UTAR staff and students.

Nurul Azwaniza bt A. Rahman (left) and Edriana

When asked, Edriana Nafasha binti Rozmi from SMK Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah said, “Attending this event has helped me understand more about cyberbullying, harassment, and the laws related to harassment. I believe it is beneficial for students to learn about these topics, as many people are unaware of it.”

CHMW Counsellor Ms Navamani Nagappon (left) presenting a token of appreciation to (clockwise from top left) Ms Ariel Lim, Ms Tan, Cik Nurazrin and Mr Leo