Sexual harassment complaints involving male victims have exceeded 1,000 since 2024 through Malaysia’s Women, Family and Community Development Ministry’s complaint channels, officials said [1, 2]. The rise occurs amid an overall increase in sexual harassment reports nationwide, with police recording 477 cases in 2022, 522 in 2023, 788 in 2024, and 1,038 in 2025 [3, 1, 2].
The Anti-Sexual Harassment Tribunal (TAGS) had received 92 complaints as of April 26, 2026, of which 3 involved male victims. TAGS has successfully resolved 69 cases so far [3, 1, 2]. The ministry highlighted a case where a male victim was physically touched by a male salesperson at a shopping complex just before entering a fitting room. "As an example, there was an incident at a shopping complex where a male victim was suddenly approached and held from behind by a male salesperson while he was about to enter the fitting room," said Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri, the minister [1].
The ministry has encouraged male victims to speak out and not remain silent, stressing that men can be targets of sexual harassment as well [3, 1, 2]. It also praised a female police officer in Sarawak who reported sexual harassment by a district police chief; that case remains under investigation. "The ministry commends the courage of the officer involved for coming forward to report the case, and will continue to monitor its development closely," Nancy Shukri said [1].
Authorities have urged families to take all sexual harassment complaints seriously, especially those involving children and relatives [1, 2]. Children victims are increasingly aware of their rights and are turning to alternative reporting channels such as the Talian Kasih 15999 hotline and modern tools like ChatGPT to seek help. "Through the advocacy programmes we are conducting, children are now beginning to understand their rights. Some are even seeking alternative ways to lodge complaints, including contacting Talian Kasih 15999 or using modern technology such as artificial intelligence and ChatGPT to look for help channels," Nancy Shukri noted [2].
The government passed the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840) to strengthen protections for victims and intensify actions against offenders [3]. The steady climb in cases and increasing awareness reflect ongoing efforts to address harassment issues across the country.
On April 26, 2026, the latest Tribunal statistics reported 92 complaints filed, of which 69 had been resolved [3, 1, 2]. Authorities continue monitoring trends and responses as public reporting grows.
