By Nurin Patra & Noor Syahhira Hady
What happens after the harassment ends? In the second of this four-part series, we examine how survivors carry the invisible weight of trauma – and why cultural taboos, workplace failures and broken trust stop many from ever seeking justice.
The Lingering Trauma of Workplace Sexual Harassment
WORKPLACE, a space meant for growth and security, can at times turn into one of fear and humiliation, as seen in the first part of this series where a man and a woman broke their silence.
But what happens after the harassment ends?
As the second part peels back a deeper layer, the focus shifts to trauma and the silence surrounding it.
Experts reveal how fear, shame and weak workplace systems silence survivors, while stressing the mental health toll, broken reporting channels and the urgent need for stronger protections.
Trauma and silence Counselling psychologist Dr Jamayah Saili said silence among workplace sexual harassment victims is often driven by fear, cultural conditioning and weak institutional systems rather than ignorance.
Citing a 2020 Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) study, she said only 17 per cent of Malaysian women who experienced sexual harassment lodged formal complaints.
“Some victims may not even recognise the behaviour as abuse or are unaware of their rights and available services,” she explained.
Many choose not to report due to fear of retaliation, shame and lack of trust in the system — worrying about being demoted, fired or socially isolated. When perpetrators hold senior positions, victims often feel powerless.
“These factors contribute to a culture of silence, especially in hierarchical or conservative workplaces.
Breaking this requires education, supportive laws and a shift in societal values,” she added.
Dr Jamayah warned that unaddressed harassment can erode self-worth and trigger long-term psychological consequences including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Survivors may struggle with flashbacks, hypervigilance and deep-seated mistrust in professional relationships, rooted in fear of retaliation or disbelief.
“This aligns with a 2021 International Labour Organisation (ILO) report, which found that more than half of employees worldwide who experienced workplace harassment did not report it due to fear and mistrust in reporting systems,” she said. Trauma, she explained, also impairs how victims recall their experiences.
“The brain may respond with fight, flight, freeze or fawn. In many cases, victims freeze, unable to react, leading to self-blame, confusion or minimisation of the incident.
Over time, the brain may suppress memories as a coping mechanism, making it difficult for the survivor to recall or understand the event clearly.”
She added that survivors often struggle with thoughts like “Maybe it wasn’t that serious” or “I should’ve done something”, delaying acknowledgement and reporting.
“According to Judith Herman (1992), trauma disrupts narrative memory, making it hard for victims to organise experiences into a coherent story, an essential step in disclosure and healing.”
Forms of workplace harassment
Dr Jamayah said sexual harassment is defined as any unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature that violates dignity or creates an intimidating environment.
“It can take the form of sexist jokes, degrading remarks, unwanted attention such as inappropriate touching, sexual coercion in exchange for job benefits, or technology-facilitated harassment like unsolicited messages or images,” she said.
Such acts are offences under the Penal Code, Employment Act 1955 and the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (ASHA 2022). Breaches of privacy can also constitute harassment depending on intent and impact.
“In Malaysia, the Code of Practice on the Prevention and Eradication of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace defines such intrusions as potential harassment when they cause humiliation, distress, or fear.
“So, the key factors are intent, nature of instruction and impact on the victim,” Dr Jamayah added.
Lawyer Chua Kuan Ching, of Simon Siah Chua and Chow Advocates, who is also the legal advisor to Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS), said harassment is not limited to physical acts but can also include emotional distress or invasion of privacy.
“Even a comment like ‘Nampak lawa lah hari ini’ (looking good today) with an unsolicited photo could constitute intimidation or breach of privacy,” she said.
Even playful endearments such as calling someone “baby honey sayang” may be harassment if the recipient feels uncomfortable.
“What matters is how the person feels. There has to be a certain sexual element, and it must affect the recipient,” she stressed.
Workplace culture and reporting gaps
Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus lecturer Donna Barclay said survivors are sometimes blamed, while HR departments often fail to conduct proper enquiries, leaving perpetrators untouched.
“Not all Sarawak-based companies, particularly SMEs, have clear harassment policies, even though the Employment (Amendment) Act 2022 obliges employers to prevent it,” she said.
Employees hesitate to report harassment due to fear of disbelief, stigma, or family shame.
“Others feel their family members (spouse, partner etc) will be made aware of the complaint and they will face shame and/ or blame.
Vulnerable groups such as LGBTQ+ or disabled employees are especially reluctant, while others fear retaliation or being pressured to resign to make the issue go away. Barclay added that legal recourse used to be prohibitively expensive, but ASHA 2022 has introduced a cheaper and more accessible Tribunal for Anti-Sexual Harassment (TAGS). “Still, many employees remain unaware of the tribunal’s existence,” she said.
Societal barriers to speaking up
In June 2025 alone, WAO received 132 calls and 464 WhatsApp messages, some involving workplace harassment and gender discrimination.
WAO said sexual harassment is a recurring issue reported through its TINA helpline, often involving unwanted advances, inappropriate comments or touching by colleagues or supervisors.
A Vase.ai and WAO survey titled ‘Voices of Malaysian Women on Discrimination & Harassment in the Workplace’ found that 21 per cent of 1,010 respondents experienced workplace harassment.
“These trends show harassment is prevalent and underreported, often due to fear of retaliation and stigma,” WAO noted. Cultural factors also play a major role.
WAO’s 2021 research on public attitudes towards violence against women found widespread lack of understanding of non-physical abuse, such as financial control or isolation.
“In a patriarchal society like Malaysia, men are often regarded as heads of households.
Women may be pressured to conform, and silence becomes a learned response. Ultimately, everything begins at home – private beliefs shape public norms,” WAO explained.
Law, policy and the way forward
Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Sarawak, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, emphasised that sexual harassment is not merely a moral issue but a human rights violation.
“It can occur anywhere – at home, in schools, workplaces, public spaces and even online,” she said.
“In Sarawak, efforts to address this issue have evolved into more strategic, comprehensive, and integrated approaches, involving the collaboration of government, the private sector, and civil society to create safe and harassment-free environments.”
The establishment of TAGS, she added, is a milestone: “It provides a victim-friendly, accessible and efficient alternative to courts.”
But she cautioned that laws only matter if effectively implemented.
“In a state as vast and diverse as Sarawak, legislation must be contextualised into local realities through coordinated action by agencies and frontline personnel,” she said.
“This means ensuring every victim – in every kampung, workplace and home – knows their rights, how to report, and trusts the system to protect them. Only then can the law move from paper to real protection.”
As of October 2024, Sarawak recorded 666 reported cases of sexual harassment, compared to 529 in 2023 and 488 in 2022.
Federal minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri noted this rise could reflect both increasing incidents and greater readiness to report.
