KUALA LUMPUR: A retired Australian teacher who has called Malaysia home for 50 years was verbally harassed by a group of unruly youths on a Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) train from Klang to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (Aug 31).
Her daughter, Sheahnee Iman Lee, formerly a newscaster for a local television channel, brought the incident to light through a social media post.
Sheahnee’s 72-year-old mother was travelling on a women-only carriage and had reminded a group of young men that they were not allowed to be there.
The young men responded with hostility, asserting their Malaysian nationality as justification for their presence.
“(After that), they took videos of her and then got more of their rowdy friends to fill up the coach, much to the worry of my mum and the other few ladies there,” Sheahnee detailed in her post.
“Just because my mum’s skin colour doesn’t meet your standards, she has no right to speak up? Just because you’re Malaysian, you think you have the right to do whatever you wish?” she questioned.
Sheahnee highlighted her mother’s lifelong dedication to Malaysia, noting her contributions to education and local sports development and that she had dutifully paid taxes like any resident.
“She chose to stay here most of her life, no matter how tough things were, and gave birth to two Malaysians,” Sheahnee pointed out.
“My mother has seen Malaysia at its best and its worst. After 67 years, I hope more people can look past skin colour and focus on values, attitudes, mindsets, and hearts,” she added.
Following the incident, KTM contacted Sheahnee to take her report.
She said they were empathetic, listened openly, and were receptive to my feedback. She added that they informed her about intercom buttons on all trains that passengers can use in emergencies.
However, Sheahnee noted that reaching the intercom can be challenging when faced with a large group of men. She suggested that KTM implement random and regular inspections to prevent men from entering women-only coaches and to bolster passenger safety.
