KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's women's rights organization are hopeful that a proposal to put more security patrols at shopping mall car parks across the country will help end the recent spate of assaults. However, they have raised a number of concerns over the move, asking the government to increase its efforts to protect women's safety across Malaysia. National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO) Deputy President Lim Bee Kau said the Rela members assigned to do the job “must be trained to respond to emergencies.” A number of attacks reportedly occurred under the watch of security personnel who stood by and did not intervene. Women's Aid Organization Executive Director Ivy Josiah told reporters that there was a need for long-term measures to create a safe environment for all Malaysians. “Do we have enough Rela personnel to be posted at every mall in the country?” she asked. Sisters in Islam Program Manager for Advocacy, Legal Services and Public Education Suri Kempe was quoted by AsiaOne.com saying that “while the idea of additional security in shopping malls was welcomed, there must be clarity with regards to Rela's role and responsibility when assigned to patrol shopping mall car parks.” Fear of Attack After a spate of attacks against women at car parks across Malaysia, Lulu Aziz is one of many women who said they can't be out by themselves for fear of being attacked. “I used to go shopping by myself, drive me car around and not have to worry about anything," the 29-year-old advertising consultant in Petaling Jaya told Bikyamasr.com. “Now, I fear that someone will attack me and rape me. It is too much right now and I will go to work and stay home unless a friend will come with me." Aziz is single and with many of her closest friends already married, she said they “don't want to go out during the week so it makes it tough on me." Other women, including an elderly woman in a letter to the editor of Free Malaysia Today, also said they fear being in public alone. “I'm not asking for a red carpet to go to the wet market but merely lights in order not to feel so fearful of my safety," the woman wrote, highlighting the growing concern over security concerns in the country in regards to female safety. Malaysia women are blaming the government's inaction after another woman reported being attacked at a car park in the country. The woman, Nooralida M. Noor, reported that she was getting into her vehicle at a shopping center when a man attacked her, entered her var and slashed at her arm and neck, causing injuries. Although she fought back and tried shouting, the man pinned her down and warned her “not to be stupid," she said in her Facebook account. The report comes as the country's police force said they were boosting security at shopping centers across the country in an effort to combat the rising number of sexual assaults taking place. But for women, the situation is becoming frustratingly debilitating. Social worker Chiu Xiu told Bikyamasr.com in Kuala Lumpur that she believes the situation is becoming “critical" and called on the government to take greater action. “It is important that the police are dealing with this, but they are moving too slow and our women in the country are scared to go out, go shopping and live normal lives," she added, saying she has had to work with women who have been traumatized by the attacks on them across the country. “We need something done and now," she continued. Bukit Aman Narcotics CID deputy director, Mohd Zulyadaen Ismail said the measures were part of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) efforts to “facilitate reporting of crime incidents to policemen on duty towards making Malaysia a safer country," the Bernama news agency reported. He was speaking at a press conference after the High-Profile Policing Walkabout at the Kuala Lumpur Festival City shopping complex in Setapak. Assaults at Malaysian shopping centers' 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.
