KTMB pledges safety measures after 72-year-old woman harassed by male youths in women’s coach, daughter responds (VIDEO)

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 — Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) has responded to a recent incident involving a 72-year-old woman who was harassed by a group of male youths on the KTM Komuter Ladies Coach.

In a statement, KTMB expressed its deepest sympathies to the woman, whose daughter, media personality Sheahnee Iman Lee, reported the incident on social media.

Lee stated that her mother was harassed while travelling from Bukit Badak Station to Shah Alam Station, prompting KTMB’s Customer Service Unit to reach out to her directly.

“KTM has reached out personally to me to take my report on the incident. They were empathetic, listened with openness and were receptive to my feedback,” Lee wrote in an update of her original post on Instagram.

KTMB highlighted that the Ladies Coach was introduced to provide a safe environment for women using KTM Komuter services and encouraged passengers to use the intercom button or contact KTMB’s Auxiliary Police at 03-2263 1194 in case of emergencies.

Lee added, “I was informed that all KTM trains have an intercom button you can press to get help in the event of an incident or emergency. The train driver can then make an announcement and also call on polis bantuan (auxiliary police) to assist in such cases.”

She shared with KTM that “in such incidents where a woman is outnumbered by a large group of males, trying to reach an intercom could be difficult or even provoke them.”

She suggested that KTMB conduct random and regular spot checks on trains and stations to ensure the Ladies Coach serves its intended purpose.

In its statement, KTMB reiterated its commitment to addressing the issue by deploying auxiliary police officers on trains to conduct regular patrols.

The company is also in discussions with Agensi Pengangkutan Awam Darat (Apad) to enhance enforcement and raise awareness about the importance of the Ladies Coach.

KTMB introduced the Ladies Coach in 2010 to ensure the comfort and safety of its passengers, also providing special waiting areas with “Ladies Only” signs.

Lee acknowledged KTMB’s efforts to address her concerns and expressed hope for improvements.

“While it may be some time before Mum feels safe enough to ride the train again, I thank KTM for reaching out and hope they only get better from here,” she said.

KTMB’s response comes after Lee shared on social media that her mother had been verbally harassed by male youths in the women’s coach of a KTM Komuter train, as reported by the New Straits Times.

The incident involving Lee’s mother reportedly occurred when she encountered a group of male youths in the women’s coach who allegedly harassed and insulted her when she reminded them that they were in the wrong coach.

Some of the youths responded rudely, saying, “We are Malaysian!” and “This is my country!” before bringing more friends into the coach.

Lee said that the boys’ behaviour was possibly influenced by her mother being Australian.

In her post, Lee called on the youths involved to reflect on their behaviour and urged them to improve.

“To the boys who were on the train, tolonglah ambik iktibar dari insiden ini (please learn from this incident). Awak masih muda, tak terlambat lagi untuk perbaiki diri (You are still young, it is not too late to better yourselves),” she said.