KUALA LUMPUR: The Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) auxiliary police apprehended a man suspected of sexually harassing a female passenger on a Kelana Jaya Line LRT train on Monday, March 13.
"Our auxiliary police team members swung into action upon being informed of the incident… when the female passenger, Nur Dini Van Haeren, a 21-year-old student at a private university in the Klang Valley, posted about (it in) Facebook.
"We spoke with Dini to obtain more details and secured footage of the suspect from our CCTV recordings.
"We have been on the lookout for the suspect for the past few days, and are pleased to share that he was successfully apprehended at the Taman Jaya LRT station yesterday," said Dato Ir. Zohari Sulaiman, CEO of Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd, the Prasarana subsidiary which operates the Rapid KL urban rail services.
The suspect, aged 37, from Lembah Subang, Selangor, was surrendered to the police after being positively identified by Dini yesterday.
On March 13, Dini boarded the train at the Kelana Jaya LRT Station, en route to the city centre. After entering the train, she noticed the suspect looking at her with a “naughty” expression on his face.
The man proceeded to whisper vulgar words towards her, and continued making “naughty” faces.
Dini, however, was too afraid and embarrassed to react.
Later that day, Dini shared her experience on Facebook, saying that she could have done more to protect herself at that moment, like shouting out or telling other passengers about her harasser on the spot.
Dini said that the Prasarana team responded to her messages on Facebook, and they also emailed her in the quickest and most efficient manner.
“They kept updating me regarding the incident, and they took the matter very seriously. My parents and I were very impressed, and of course, grateful.
“The team was with me throughout the process, after the incident was reported to them. We admire their dedication and their relentless pursuit in apprehending the perpetrator, and also their professionalism in handling the matter,” said Dini and her parents yesterday.
Zohari reminded passengers to remain alert and calm should they encounter any unpleasant situation and promptly alert staff, the auxiliary police, or even nearby passengers for support and assistance.