How Malaysian TikTok influencer’s death has shed light on cyberbullying

The death of a young social media influencer in Malaysia has put the limelight on online harassment in the country. Rajeswary Appahu, 30, allegedly died by suicide after facing cyberbullying.

Her untimely demise has sparked uproar, prompting authorities to act and tackle the problem of cyberbullying in the Southeast Asian nation.

Let’s take a closer look.

Influencer dies in Malaysia

Rajeswary, who went by Esha on social media, was found dead at her home on July 5.

Her grieving father P Appahu, a 62-year-old temple caretaker, told The Star: “She was a very strong person. I can’t understand why this happened.’’

According to a CNA report, the social media influencer had filed a police report at the Dang Wangi police station in Kuala Lumpur a day before her demise. She had expressed fear of being raped and killed.

Rajeswary, who was also a Hindu rights activist, had named two people in her report, accusing them of trolling her on TikTok, The Star reported.

She alleged she was harassed in a “live session” by a TikTok user who subjected her to threats and vulgarity.

Viewers and creators can engage with each other in real time in a TikTok live session.

As per The Star, Rajeswary claimed that the individual had used her photo and made threats to “rape and kill” her as well as “injure” her.

“He said that he had a gang to back him up and also encouraged his followers to forward the live session [link] to me,” she said in the report.

The social media influencer, who was known for her content on general positivity and beauty, alleged that many users watching the live session also abused her.

One woman detained

A local woman was detained earlier in the week by the police concerning the influencer’s death case, reported Malay Mail.

Sentul district police chief, Assistant Commissioner Ahmad Sukarno Mohd Zahari, said the 35-year-old woman was arrested at the Bukit Beruntung Golf Resort in Rawal on Monday (July 8) morning.

She was to be held in remand until July 10 to assist in the probe.

The case is being investigated under Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

The district police chief confirmed the victim had reported the online abuse faced by her to cops. According to Zahari, Rajeswary had lodged similar police reports in the past.

She was also recently being investigated for alleged abuse of network facilities under Section 233 of the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Act, reported The Star.

Cabinet to discuss cyberbullying

Malaysia’s communications minister Fahmi Fadzil has said the menace of cyberbullying on social media platforms will be addressed in the Cabinet meeting on Friday (July 12).

Speaking to reporters after Rajeswary’s funeral on Sunday, Fadzil said her family blamed online bullying for the influencer’s death, reported The Star.

“I am angry and upset. We will leave it to the police to investigate. Cyberbullying should not become a culture …” he stated.

The minister said that dealing with the problem becomes difficult as many cyberbullies hide behind fake accounts.

“One of the complaints which the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and the Ministry of Communications have received from the police, is that accounts involved in various abusive activities hide behind fake accounts, making it hard to identify the individuals who made the comments, or were involved in the scams,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Fadzil warned the public, particularly civil servants, from becoming cyberbullies. He assured his ministry would mull amending the existing laws related to cyberbullying.

“This matter was relayed to the prime minister … and I have also spoken to Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said. We have a similar stance on this issue and will meet in a few days,” he said, as per CNA.

Digital minister Deo admitted that reports of online attacks and abuse have surged lately. “The government views these complaints very seriously.”

“Steps are being taken to prevent them and to duly deal with such incidents when they occur,’’ he told The Star.

Deo said that “urgent steps are being taken to deal with the problem”.

One of the measures being considered by the government is proper registration of social media accounts, as per the minister. Deo also asked victims of cyberbullying to come forward and lodge complaints with the authorities, _The Sta_r reported.

David Marshel, deputy chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party, told reporters that Rajeswary had confided in him about facing severe online abuse, expressing desperation and suicidal thoughts, as per CNA.

Segamat MP R Yuneswaran has demanded strict action against the perpetrators responsible for the social media influencer’s demise.

“The Communications and Digital Ministries, as well as relevant authorities should set a firm precedent by punishing those responsible for bullying Esha. The perpetrators of this heinous act must be held accountable. By doing so, we send a clear message to all bullies on social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram, that their actions will not be tolerated and will be met with severe consequences,” he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

Malaysia’s cyberbullying problem

Cyberbullying is a big concern in Malaysia. This is not the first time a death has been linked to cyberbullying.

In 2022, a 44-year-old woman reportedly died by suicide after being bullied on TikTok.

A United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) report in 20222 ranked Malaysia on the second spot in Asia for cyberbullying among youths in 2020.

The Sun newspaper’s report earlier this year said the MCMC received 3,199 complaints of cyberbullying in 2023.

The commission found Facebook was the main platform for cyberbullying with 1,401 complaints recorded, followed by WhatsApp with 667, Instagram with 388, TikTok with 258 and X with 159.

Speaking to The Sun in February, International Islamic University Malaysia psychiatrist Dr Rozanizam Zakaria said that continuous cyberbullying, in extreme cases, has been associated with a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviour.

“Constant emotional distress from cyberbullying can push victims to a point of desperation and cause them to engage in deliberate self-harm to cope with negative feelings associated with the experience.”

There have been demands for the government to enact separate laws on cyberbullying which is not currently defined.

With inputs from agencies

(A collection of Suicide prevention helpline numbers are available  here  . Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022-27546669)