Here Are Key Facts You Should Know About The Death Of Malaysian TikToker Esha
The victim, who had faced relentless harassment over several weeks, continued to suffer until she could no longer bear the cyberbullying.
By Sadho Ram — 09 Jul 2024, 05:18 PM — Updated 5 months ago
On 4 July, a Malaysian social media influencer and teacher, Rajeswary Appahu, lodged a police report over alleged rape and death threats.
The next day, the activist was found dead in her condominium unit.
Rajeswary, who also goes by Esha, claimed she was trolled and harassed during a recent live session on Tiktok, reported The Star.
The 29-year-old said one person had used her photo and made several threats to "rape and kill" as well as "injure" her. Many viewers of the session also levelled abuse against her.
According to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who visited the victim's family on 7 July, Rajeswary died by suicide after several individuals harassed her online, leaving disgusting comments on TikTok.
"I am extremely disappointed and angry with what has happened. Those responsible for this incident must be brought to justice. I have also informed [Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim] about this," he said.
The police have since arrested a 35-year-old woman for her alleged involvement in cyberbullying Rajeswary
Sentul police chief ACP Ahmad Sukarno Mohd Zahari told the media that a 39-year-old man lodged a report on 6 July about the threats allegedly made against Rajeswary.
"The complainant saw two posts on TikTok uploaded by two users, who defamed and threatened Rajeswary.
"Both accounts used Rajeswary's photos as the background for videos uploaded on their accounts. The videos contained threats against Rajeswary and used obscene language," Ahmad was quoted as saying.
He said police arrested the female suspect at the Bukit Beruntung Golf Resort in Rawang.
It's unclear if the arrested suspect is one of the TikTok users.
Police have also recorded statements from nine individuals in connection with the case.
While the police have made an arrest, SAYS has learned that the case also involves a local preacher, who filed a police report against her
Rajeswary, who often spoke about issues affecting the Indian Malaysian community, had lodged two police reports at the Sentul district police headquarters on 24 May, over alleged insults to Hinduism.
In one report, she named Abdellatif Ouisa, a controversial Moroccan content creator using the handle @AbdeenTube, for reciting Arabic verses in front of Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple in Batu Caves.
"I checked with my Arabic-speaking friends. The verses he read called for the destruction of idols," Rajeswary stated in her report, which was sighted by Harapan Daily.
However, Rajeswary claimed that when she lodged the report, she was bombarded with strange questions from police, asking who the majority in Malaysia is and who is the greater god.
"I came here to make a police report regarding 3R [race, religion, and royalty], not to determine which God is above the other. If I lodge a report to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), it would take five working days. The police are claiming that it would take them seven days.
"Are they going to investigate or give the suspects time to abscond from the country?" she asked.
Following her police report against the Moroccan, Angkatan Skuad Mubaligh Malaysia president Ustaz Muhammad Zamri Vinoth Kalimuthu lodged a police report against Rajeswary, claiming that she had insulted Islam by inviting a man who had insulted the King and the royal institution to one of her live TikTok sessions.
Zamri subsequently launched a social media campaign to put pressure on the authorities to arrest Rajeswary.
Amidst Zamri's social media campaign, during which he also organised live TikTok sessions, Rajeswary was doxxed online, leading to a barrage of harassment and bullying from people online.
The Padang Besar district police told SAYS today, 9 July, that they arrested Rajeswary almost three weeks after the police report was lodged. She was remanded for three days and released on 28 June.
We have reached out to Zamri for a comment but have yet to receive a reply.
SAYS reached out to Fahmi to discuss the potential link between Zamri's actions and the cyberbullying accusations, given their relevance to the minister's statements about her death
His press secretary, Hanim Muhili, told SAYS that the minister had visited the victim's family after learning about her death and that Rajeswary had not lodged a report with MCMC.
Any further queries about the matter should be directed to the police, he added.
Rajeswary, who had faced relentless harassment over several weeks, continued to suffer until she could no longer bear the cyberbullying
Amidst Zamri's campaign against Rajeswary, the victim also faced continued harassment from a group of individuals, according to a police report filed at Sentul police district headquarters by her friend.
Rajeswary's friend named three individuals in the report sighted by Harapan Daily, detailing how these individuals allegedly harassed Rajeswary on TikTok.
It is understood that Rajeswary had reported a local cosmetic brand's products for containing mercury. Following this, the Health Ministry banned its face cream product in March this year.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.
If you or anyone you know is lonely, distressed, or having negative thoughts, please call these Malaysian hotlines:
1. BEFRIENDERS KL
24-hour
Contact: +603-76272929
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
2. TALIAN KASIH
24-hour
Contact: 15999
WhatsApp: +6019-2615999
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook
3. BUDDY BEAR CHILDLINE
Daily (12pm - 12am)
Contact: 1800-18-2327
Email: [email protected]
Facebook | Instagram
For a more thorough directory of resources, head over to the websites of Malaysian Mental Health Association or MINDAKAMI.
