A female motorist shared her recent unpleasant encounter with a police officer at the Jalan Duta roadblock on 12th February.
“Lift your blouse or you’ll be fined”!
Since her tweet went viral, she has deleted her official Twitter account. However, prosecutors have found out that the policeman who allegedly accused her of not wearing a bra, threatened to summon her, and even insisted on sharing her phone number.
Federal Police Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS) Director Comm Datuk Zamri Yahya, said that after the incident took place, the officer was relieved of roadblock duties.
The viral case sparked nationwide controversy, especially about what rights we as civilians have if we come across the same alleged incidence. Often, in order to make a comprehensive police report, you have constitutional rights and are allowed to question them.
Prof Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, a law lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) who also helms as Children’s Commissioner for the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) urged the public to learn about their rights as Malaysian citizens.
Here’s what you ought to know if you are stopped and harassed at a police roadblock;
First thing’s first:
- Mark down any untoward incident involving an officer, their name and identity number and then lodge a police report quickly. In whatever position they are in, women must show caution and note that sexual assault can happen to anyone anywhere at any given time of the day.
- If any of your loved ones, someone you know or yourself who had been sexually harassed by enforcement officers, hesitate no more and lodge a police report immediately.
- A warrant can be issued if a road user fails to show their drivers license. However, they will not be arrested though and does not require any detention or an officer in charge to seek your contact number.
- The police will have to let you go if they do not possess defensible grounds to detain you.
If you have the time, the courage, and the confidence to verbally express your displeasure with being stopped unnecessarily at a roadblock, please do so. It’d be a good tempo shift!
