IN the past few weeks social media has been abuzz with allegations of sexual misconduct by disgraced Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein. More than 40 women have accused him of sexual harassment and assault, and rape, including actresses Rose McGowan, Gwyneth Paltrow and Cara Delevingne, and ex-Weinstein Co production assistant Mimi Haleyi.
In the wake of these accusations, actress Alyssa Milano popularised the hashtag #MeToo on Twitter and encouraged women across the world to talk about their experiences of sexual harassment and assault to boost awareness and bring attention to the scale of the problem.
Millions of women all over the world responded, and the hashtag started trending and going viral on social media platforms.
I must admit that it broke my heart to see so many status updates from family and friends on my newsfeed, all with the hashtags and accompanying stories of their horrible experiences. It was awful knowing that so many women had been put through such trauma.
It took me a while to decide to share my story. I knew I had to do it because I want it to be a lesson for other women. I don’t want anyone else to experience what I went through all those years ago.
I was 17 at the time and I needed to have a traditional costume tailor-made for a cousin’s wedding. My mother and I headed for a small shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur, as a friend had recommended a tailor who was working there. But, when we got there we found out that she was no longer there. So, we were forced to look for another tailor.
We went into a shop and a man welcomed us. After looking at the material that we had brought, he told my mother to head to another shop down the corridor to buy extra cloth. He said he would take my measurements in the meantime. We didn’t suspect anything amiss as he seemed pleasant and the shop was out in the open where there was a steady stream of passersby.
The moment my mother was out of sight, he took out his measuring tape and started taking my measurements. A short while later, I realised that his hands were hovering over my inner thighs a little longer than necessary. Then, he placed his hands on my privates and also fondled my breasts. No measurements were taken, because I suppose that wasn’t what he had planned on doing. As embarrassed as I am to admit this, I was too stunned to move or say anything. I felt a strange terror envelop me and suddenly I couldn’t utter a single word. I simply stood there frozen in fear.
When my mother returned, he started taking measurements for real and made notes in his book. I didn’t dare to look at my mother as I was afraid that I’d burst into tears.
After we left the shop, my mother realised that I was silent, which was quite abnormal. She knew something was wrong, and forced me to spill the beans. I started crying and told her what happened. I could see the rage in her eyes. I had never seen her that livid before. She called my father and brother, who were in the area, and told my father to take my brother and I to a cafe nearby. She said she would meet us there later.
When she showed up about 20 minutes later, her hands were heavily bruised but she didn’t utter a word about what had happened. It was years later that I realised she had gone back to the man’s shop. My mother had stood up for me when I wasn’t able to do it myself. I was too ashamed to talk about it before, but not anymore. To all the women out there who have been or are being sexually harassed, do not live in fear. Speak up. Tell your story to the world. Maybe it will help someone out there who is too afraid.
ASHLEY GREIG , a lecturer at Sunway College, is a Malaysian-born Eurasian with Scottish/Japanese/ Indian lineage who believes in a
tomorrow where there is no racism and hatred