KUALA LUMPUR: She is dressed in a slick suit and she keeps her head down as she walks, not wanting to draw attention in the late evening hours of the night in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur. For Rita Darik, Kuala Lumpur is still safe, but she fears the rising reports of sexual violence across the country. “It is very scary to see it everyday and learn that more women are being attacked,” the executive told Bikyamasr.com while walking from her office to her car on Monday evening. “We need some major changes in the perception of women in this country, and the government can do more.” She was referring to the rising number of women being attacked in car parks across the country and the reports that security guards have done little to intervene. “If this happened to me and the security present did nothing, I might become very violent,” she admitted. Assaults at Malaysian car parks are becoming an all too frequent occurrence against women in the country. While they are demanding more action is taken by the government and security companies, some women are beginning to speak out on the attacks against them. Facebook has become the choice to deliver information and stories on what happened in the car park. “Yvonne Low" described an assault on her aunt and cousin by two men in a Cheras mall. “One of them crept up on my aunt and bashed her head, while the other chased my cousin who managed to escape," she wrote on her post dated June 3, which included pictures of the victim's injuries. “A stolen purse, a serious head injury, horrifying memory and physical plus emotional damage," she said. In another post on the social media site, “Monica Yap" on behalf of the victim, urged women to be alert while getting in and out of their cars at parking lots. Adda Yussif know's all too well the struggle for women. She recently avoided an attack late at night by moving faster and parking closer to the entrance. “Thank God I was able to get in the car before he approached," she told Bikyamasr.com. “I knew he was watching me and moving closer. I wonder what would have happened if I was parked farther away," she added. For many women in Malaysia, the thought of entering a dark car park late in the evening is a fearful idea, as a number of women have been reportedly attacked by unknown assailants in recent months. For Yussif, she feels lucky. “I know we have security staff watching on cameras, but most car parks don't so that is really sad for women in the country who face violence because of a lack of security," she continued. Women's groups in Malaysia are fighting back, hoping the government will boost security in car parks across the country to protect women. Women's Aid Executive Director Ivy Josiah said that the question of car park security had been raised repeatedly since the death of IT analyst Canny Ong who was abducted at the parking lot of a shopping mall on June 14 2003. She emphasized the importance of having CCTVs in car parks, better enforcement of the law against culprits and more citizen initiatives to prevent crime against women. “Women have to be able to walk anywhere at any time and feel safe," she said. All Women's Action Society Malaysia president Ho Yoke Lin said the problem of “unsafe public spaces" is something many women in the country face regularly. Ho said that most, if not all, car park operators insist that parking in their premises is at the user's risk. “Thus, the burden of responsibility for the safety of a car park is not placed on its operator, but on the user," she added. While everyone should try to be aware of their surroundings, the operator must provide a safe environment and the government is obliged to ensure this, said Ho. “We call on the government and local authorities to enact and enforce mandatory regulations on security measures that all owners and operators of public spaces must comply with," she added. The question for Malaysian women is what the government will do in order to preserve their protection in sensitive areas across the country. “I just want to feel safe in my country again," added Yussif.
